The Hinsdale Village Board is moving forward in its partnership with the Hinsdale Platform Tennis Association, including the rehab of the platform tennis hut at Katherine Legge Memorial Park.
At their meeting Tuesday night, trustees gave a first read to a contract to renovate the facility for $351,800. The bid from Red Feather Group was below the $400,000 budgeted for the project as well as the lowest of two bids, the other coming in at $542,313. Plans for the project were approved a year ago, according to a staff memo, but after getting no bids at that time, the project’s scope was revised.
Trustee Jerry Hughes said the lower bid checked out.
“It’s in line with what our original expectations of cost would be,” he said.
Hughes, who led a yearlong effort to hammer out a pact with HPTA over the renovation and expansion of paddle tennis facilities located at KLM as well as the operation and management of the facilities at KLM and Burns Field, said this the latest step in a “multi-pronged plan to transition the operating relationship for the platform tennis program in Hinsdale to HPTA, who’s assuming more responsibility.”
Tuesday’s meeting also included board approval of an amendment to the original 2019 agreement between the two parties on funding the renovation. The agreement then called for the village to pay the bulk of the cost with reimbursement from the HPTA. In January, the HPTA instead proposed obtaining a bank loan that would be guaranteed by the village. The village is responsible for the first $40,000 of the project’s cost.
Marty Brennan, HPTA president, said the arrangement is a good one both for his group and the village.
“I think that we’ve worked hard to make sure that all sides are protected within the agreement language,” Brennan said.
Trustee Luke Stifflear praised Hughes for his extensive work negotiating the deal.
“I know a lot of residents partake in (platform tennis) and I think it’s good that our village is supporting it,” Stifflear said. “Just a tremendous amount of work on behalf of Trustee Hughes, so thank you.”
Village President Cauley echoed that sentiment.
“For many years after I was president, we would just handle issues related to the HPTA ad hoc. We had no plan,” he said. “You brought it to fruition, and I know you spent a lot of work on this. I think you did a great job.”
Brennan expressed gratitude for the commitment to reaching resolution.
“We’ve had a lot of interesting conversations along the way, and it’s been a long road,” he said, joking about his hair loss during the process. “This was not an easy deal to get across the goal line, but everybody persevered, and I think we’re all in a better place for it.”
Approval of the construction contract will be on the consent agenda for the April 6 board meeting. The hut renovation is expected to be completed before fall.
