The MetraPark Grandstands. (Photo by Jonathan McNiven)
The Grandstands at Metra Park are most likely going to be torn down. The matter has been placed on next Monday’s discussion agenda by County Commissioners, after receiving estimates from CTA that rebuilding the grandstands would cost as much as $22 million. Commissioners are likely to issue a request for proposal (RFP), this coming week, to tear them down, explained John Ostlund.
County officials will be reviewing a study done by CTA architects which they were commissioned to do by Metra Park after part of the façade fell off of the grandstand structure last summer.
CTA ‘s inspection of the of facility identified a number other critical needs that could place the public at risk, which should be addressed immediately, said Ostlund. The cost of addressing just those repairs would cost between $6 million and $7 million, according to CTA estimates.
Even at that cost, the repairs would be but a stop-gap measure, and the county would be facing more repairs in just a few years, said Ostlund.
Attempting to do a complete refurbishing of the grandstands would cost between $21 million and $22 million, almost exactly as much as building new. Pointing out that the grandstands currently generates little revenue for MetraPark, it’s difficult to justify such an expenditure, said Ostlund.
The cost of demolishing the grandstands will probably cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.7 million.
What will be done in the future will largely be determined by a master planning effort that will be conducted next week. The consultant who was very much involved with rebuilding the Metra Park after the Father’s Day tornado, has agreed to revamp the master plan for $50,000.
