Sinkhole Forming in Downtown La Grange Will be Costly to Repair

The La Grange City Council approved a $1.06 million budget for the City’s economic development corporation (EDC) Monday night.

A few of the big-ticket items in the EDC’s budget for the coming fiscal year include $200,000 to rebuild the public parking lot on S. Washington St. and another $200,000 for planning and design related to a downtown plaza.

“The parking lot is currently in poor condition and includes drainage issues,” said La Grange Economic Development Manager Emily Hudson. “And (it’s) developing a sinkhole that will need to be addressed.”

Hudson said the EDC considers the parking lot an important economic development asset because it serves downtown businesses and events. She said parking lot improvements are not an eligible expense under the downtown revitalization grant that the City is seeking.

The other major item – downtown plaza project – drew some questions from Council members and the public. The City purchased the former Fayette Electric headquarters in 2024 for $665,000 with intentions to turn the 2.5 acre property into a downtown plaza. The property is located on Washington St. north of the Courthouse Square.

“This should not be viewed as a commitment to immediately spend $200,000 on a plaza project,” Hudson said. “Rather, the allocation is intended for planning and design activities. The planning process would allow EDC and the City Council to evaluate programming, layout options, potential features, anticipated costs, along with the overall long-term use of the property before any construction decisions are made.”

Downtown business owner Gene Carson questioned the plaza expenses. He said the Courthouse Square is capable of hosting large events such as the La Grange Oktoberfest Celebration and Schmeckenfest.

“There’s plenty of room down there to have big events,” Carson said. “That’s where we have them … I don’t see why you would spend $200,000 to get a proposal. You’ll have no money to make it happen after you spend $200,000. So why would you spend $200,000 to get a nice pretty packet from consultants? It makes, in my opinion, no sense at all.”

Carson said the plaza project should be “put on the back burner” while the City works to complete other projects.

Councilwoman Pam Giese asked whether passing the budget would give EDC authority to spend money on projects like the plaza without Council approval.

“I just want to make sure that there is no question that approval of this budget is not approval of spending,” Giese said.

“Yes ma’am, you are correct,” Hudson said. “Regarding the plaza, we would still need to declare it an EDC project. That would involve a public hearing. So yes, this would be brought before the City Council before any spending towards a budgeted expense.”

Council ultimately approved the budget without opposition.

Later in the meeting, during the citizen participation period, local resident Lambert Heintschel criticized the plaza idea.

“I’m going to continue on what Mr. Carson was talking about – the $200,000 to have somebody design a plaza and possibly food courts,” Heintschel said. “Why do we want to bring more food trailers into this town? We take business away from Bodega, Latte on the Square, the bakery, places like that. Those people pay taxes here. Why do we want to let outsiders come in here and sell their food and stuff?”

Instead, Heintschel proposed turning the old Fayette Electric building into a new City Hall.

“That way, you could take your electric department and move it over there,” Heintschel said. “You could make more room in your warehouse area. Then once you get this city hall empty, remodel it and let the police department move here and sell the property that the police department is in now. You’d save a lot of money.”

Heintschel went on to criticize the City for infrastructure maintenance, or rather the lack thereof.

“I have not seen the street department patch potholes or do any patchwork in this town,” he said.

Heintschel mentioned a new truck and asphalt trailer that the Council previously approved in the City budget.

“What’s the use if they can’t patch the streets right now with the equipment they have?” he asked.

Another speaker, local business owner Calvin Mersiovsky, echoed Heintschel’s remarks. He spoke about school zone signs that were overgrown with vines and the poor condition of Beefhead Ditch.

“Go down and look at Beefhead Ditch,” Mersiovsky said. “Hopefully we don’t get another flood real soon. That’s the beginning of a forest inside of Beefhead Ditch.

“All your day-to-day operations are falling by the wayside because we want a plaza,” he added.

“We keep looking ahead. We’re falling apart because we’re more interested in the future,” Mersiovsky said.