The Dundee Township Foundation can keep its home at Summit Square for now.
East Dundee Village Board trustees Monday approved an agreement that not only allows the foundation to continue using its existing space at Summit Square at 611 Main St. but to expand into as many as 10 rooms in the former school building.
While the foundation, which runs a food pantry and clothing closet, does not pay rent to the village, it plans to fund the repairs and upgrades needed in the space it uses.
A clause in the agreement gives either side 30 days to notify the other that they want out of the arrangement.
“It’s something that benefits both the village and the foundation,” said Trustee Scott Kunze, noting that the foundation serves residents in need in Dundee Township. “They’re going to increase the value of our property and they’re going to get a place to stay and the residents of East Dundee will have services if the run into hard times.”
For years, the village has struggled to find tenants for its portion of Summit Square, a former nonprofit school building that Tom Roeser of Otto Engineering purchased in the hopes of redeveloping it. While Roeser was able to sell a portion of the office spaces, the village took over the remaining vacant spaces in 2015 at a cost of $1.7 million.
East Dundee currently owns about 57% of the building, Village Administrator Jennifer Ramsay said.
The agreement replaces an one made with Dundee Township three years ago. At that time, the township ran the food pantry and clothing closet with volunteers and staff. The foundation, which was created about a year ago, took over operations but needed a new agreement when the new Dundee Township administration said it could no longer use the township’s space at Summit Square.
During Monday’s discussion, the township and the owner of Gallery 611, which also owns space at Summit Square, raised questions about the village contributing to the upkeep of the building and how the space is used.
Ramsay said that while the village does not pay into monthly association dues for the building, it has made various repairs in recent years, including the replacement of a water heater and roof repairs totaling more than $40,000.
Dundee Township and Gallery 611 officials also noted they would like to expand their own operations at Summit Square and purchase additional space from the village.
Village trustees Monday suggested additional discussions are needed on what’s the best use for the space and how the village should contribute to the building’s regular upkeep.
Some expressed frustration over the village’s continued ownership of the space and the failure to sell it as had been planned.
“The village of East Dundee needs to be out of this building,” Village President Jeff Lynam said during Monday’s meeting.
Trustees Kathleen Mahony and Rich Treiber also expressed concern about entering into a new agreement with the foundation, noting that additional details were needed not only about the foundation’s plans but also potential expansion plans for other users in the space.
“It’s an asset and we need to be managing that village asset better than we have,” Mahony said.
Dundee Township Foundation Board member Steve Whitecotton said the foundation plans to make improvements to two rooms initially so it can move out of the space they currently occupy through the township.
Improvements include making repairs to electrical wiring, updating air conditioner and baseboard heating units and other upgrades, Whitecotton said. The estimated the value of the work would be about $40,000 but much of it will be done by volunteers, he said.
Currently, the foundation currently uses two rooms for the food pantry and another four rooms for clothing storage.
Whitecotton estimates about 100 families are served twice a month through the organization’s food pantry. About 100 families were able to get clothing at a recent clothes closet event, Whitecotton said.
“We’re very grateful to the village of East Dundee for letting us use these rooms,” Whitecotton said.
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
