State of Illinois
91st General Assembly
Legislation

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[ Engrossed ][ Enrolled ][ Senate Amendment 001 ]

91_HB2008

 
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 1        AN ACT creating the 25th Avenue Railroad  Relocation  and
 2    Redevelopment Authority.

 3        Be  it  enacted  by  the People of the State of Illinois,
 4    represented in the General Assembly:

 5        Section 1.  Short title.  This Act may be  cited  as  the
 6    25th  Avenue  Railroad  Relocation  and Development Authority
 7    Act.

 8        Section   5.  Legislative   declaration.    The   General
 9    Assembly declares that the welfare, health,  prosperity,  and
10    moral  and general well being of the people of the State are,
11    in large  measure,  dependent  upon  the  sound  and  orderly
12    development  of municipal areas.  The Village of Bellwood and
13    the Village of  Melrose  Park,  by  reason  of  the  location
14    therein  of  25th  Avenue and its use for vehicular travel in
15    access  to  the  entire  west  metropolitan   Chicago   area,
16    including municipalities in 2 counties, as well as commercial
17    and  industrial  growth  patterns and accessibility to O'Hare
18    International Airport,  Midway  Airport,  manufacturing,  and
19    freight related facilities, have become and will increasingly
20    be the hub of transportation from all parts of the region and
21    throughout   the   west  metropolitan  area.   Motor  vehicle
22    traffic, pedestrian travel, and the safety of both  motorists
23    and  pedestrians are substantially aggravated by the location
24    of a major railroad right of way that divides the Village  of
25    Bellwood  and  the  Village  of  Melrose Park.  Additionally,
26    certain development opportunities may exist  in  the  project
27    area  that  would  stabilize  and  enhance  the  tax  base of
28    existing  communities,  maintain  and   revitalize   existing
29    commerce  and industry, create opportunities for intersurface
30    modal transportation efficiencies, and promote  comprehensive
31    planning  within  and  between  communities.   This  area  is
32    characterized   now   by   deleterious   land   uses,   aged,
 
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 1    dilapidated,  and poorly arranged buildings, deteriorated and
 2    inadequate infrastructure, and blight.  The presence  of  the
 3    railroad  right  of  way at the 25th Avenue grade crossing is
 4    detrimental to the orderly expansion of industry and commerce
 5    and to progress of the region.  To alleviate  this  situation
 6    it  is necessary to relocate the railroad tracks and right of
 7    way on 25th Avenue, to separate the grades  at  crossing,  to
 8    acquire   property  for  relocation  or  submergence  of  the
 9    railroad or highways, to create an agency to  facilitate  and
10    accomplish  that relocation, and to direct infrastructure and
11    development improvements in the 25th Avenue vicinity  between
12    St. Charles Road and Lake Street.

13        Section 10.  Creation; duration.  There is created a body
14    politic  and corporate, a unit of local government, named the
15    25th Avenue Railroad Relocation  and  Development  Authority,
16    embracing  that  portion  of  Proviso Township embracing that
17    portion of the Village of Bellwood and the Village of Melrose
18    Park from St. Charles Road on the South to Lake Street on the
19    North, and from the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad on the  West
20    to  22nd  Avenue  on  the  East,  Cook County, Illinois.  The
21    Authority   shall   continue   in   existence    until    the
22    accomplishment  of  its  objective,  the  relocation  of  the
23    railroad  tracks  and  25th  Avenue,  the grade separation of
24    railroads  from  the  right  of  way  and  at-grade  crossing
25    closures within the Village of Bellwood and  the  Village  of
26    Melrose  Park,  and  the  establishment of a transit-oriented
27    intersurface modal development facility in the project  area,
28    or  until  the  Authority  officially  resolves  that  it  is
29    impossible   or   economically  unfeasible  to  fulfill  that
30    objective.

31        Section 15.  Intergovernmental tax  increment  allocation
32    redevelopment.    Nothing  in  this Section shall prevent the
 
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 1    25th Avenue Railroad  Relocation  and  Development  Authority
 2    from  entering  into agreements by and between the Village of
 3    Bellwood and the Village of Melrose Park for the purposes  of
 4    establishing  one  or  more  intergovernmental  tax increment
 5    finance districts as provided in the Illinois Municipal Code.

 6        Section   20.    Board;    composition;    qualification;
 7    compensation  and expenses.   The Authority shall be governed
 8    by a board consisting of  5  members.   The  members  of  the
 9    Authority  shall  serve  without  compensation,  but  may  be
10    reimbursed  for  actual  expenses  incurred  by  them  in the
11    performance of duties prescribed by the Authority.   However,
12    any  member  of  the  Authority  who  serves  as secretary or
13    treasure  may  receive  compensation  for  services  as  that
14    officer.

15        Section 25.  Appointments; tenure; oaths; vacancies.  The
16    members of the Authority shall be appointed by the  Governor,
17    who shall give notice of the member's selection to each other
18    member within 10 days after selection and before the member's
19    entering upon the duties of office.  Two of the members shall
20    be  recommended  to  the  Governor  from  a list 3 candidates
21    provided by the village president of the Village of Bellwood,
22    and 2 of the members shall be  recommended  to  the  Governor
23    from a list of 3 candidates provided by the village president
24    of the Village of Melrose Park.  The office of chairman shall
25    rotate  annually and shall represent the Village of Bellwood,
26    the Village of Melrose Park, and the Governor's appointments,
27    respectively, for each of the 3 years of the term of  office.
28    Each  representative  member  of the Authority shall take and
29    subscribe to the constitutional oath of office  and  file  it
30    with  the  Secretary of State.  If a vacancy occurs by death,
31    resignation, or otherwise, the vacancy shall be filled by the
32    appropriate selecting party.   All  appointments  of  members
 
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 1    shall  be  for  a 3-year term.  Each member shall continue to
 2    serve  an  additional  3-year  term  unless  that  member  is
 3    replaced by appointment within 60 days of the end of  his  or
 4    her term.

 5        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
 6    becoming law.

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