From a Friend of McHenry County Blog:
On Tuesday, April 21st at 7PM, the City of Crystal Lake, its Mayor and Council Members, will be bringing to a vote the matter of “Purchase of Real Property”.
[That’s it. The whole notice to the public.]
This is item 19 on the City Council Meeting Agenda.
The specifics of this purchase are buried on page 161 of 165 of the City Council Meeting Agenda Packet.
The City intends to enter into a Purchase and Sale Agreement for the former HealthBridge facility and adjoining vacant land from Northwestern Medical at a cost of $4.2 million.
It can be assumed that the purpose of this acquisition is to develop it into a Community Center.
This has been a personal agenda item of Mayor Haig Haleblian for some time as he has repeatedly sang the praises of his beloved Hinsdale and its Community Center.
In theory, this is a great concept.
In practice, there is a great deal to question or consider.
This includes:
1. The lack of transparency to the community and its taxpayers. There has been no prior disclosure or discussion of any kind with the public thus far in 2026.
2. WHERE IS THE TRANSPARENCY that the Mayor and many City Council Members have preached about at Crystal Lake Park District Board meetings over the past year? Why has the Mayor and City Council not sought public feedback on this matter?
3. The $4.2 million purchase price is only the beginning of the taxpayers’ responsibility. The upgrades, improvements and renovations that will include repairing the aging HVAC and mechanical systems, the aging and enormous indoor pool systems, the roof, the removal and/or replacement of the outdoor pool (as it has been deemed unrepairable), the aging open interior space (racquetball courts, basketball court, locker rooms, etc.), will result in additional costs that will likely surpass the purchase price.
4. There is also the cost of ongoing maintenance, upkeep and staffing that will be a financial strain. This Community Center will never financially self-sustain. The operational costs or losses of this project will become the burden of the taxpayer, added to the annual budget and result in future tax increases. In the private sector, no business can operate under such a strategy.
5. And don’t for a minute be surprised, that if and when this facility opens, that its formal name will be the Haig Haleblian Community Center.
Please attend the meeting on Tuesday night to have your voice heard.
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The memo to the City Council follows:
The accompanying resolution follows:
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Pardon my parochialism, but, as resident of Lakewood, I am so pleased I shall not have to pay for this beyond the sales tax when I shop in Crystal Lake.
