Oswego trustees recently authorized increasing the budget for the expansion of the village’s Public Works facility by another $1.5 million due to the condition of the soil on the site.
The Oswego Village Board earlier this year authorized the hiring of Williams Architects to identify options for the Public Works Department including possible expansion of its existing facility at 100 Theodore Drive, which was built in 2002.
Officials said the expansion of the facility is needed due to the growth seen in Oswego over the past number of years as well as the village’s projected growth in the future.
The existing facility in located on an approximately 10.75-acre property at the northeast corner of Theodore Drive and Plank Road.
Earlier this year, the Village Board decided that the expansion project should include the construction of a new building as well as a renovation of the existing building on the site, at a base amount in the $25 million range.
However, Oswego Facilities Manager Steve Raasch in a report to trustees said a geotechnical survey has determined that the soil at the site is not suitable to construct a new building without soil stabilization.
The soil will require work that will include the installation of rammed aggregate piers and geotextile fabric, he said. The rammed aggregate piers would be installed below the foundation of the entire building to be constructed and below structural columns in a vehicle storage area, according to Raasch.
The additional work would increase the cost of the project to $26.4 million. an increase of over $1.5 million from the earlier projected amount, Raasch said. The village’s available funds for the project are around $26.7 million, he said.
Representatives from Itasca-based Williams Architects and Addison-based Frederick Quinn Corporation provided details about the soil conditions to the board.
The results of soil borings that came in early May showed a number of unsuitable conditions on the site, Williams Architects Managing Principal Andrew Dogan said.
“This was something that none of us could possibly have anticipated,” Dogan said.
“We got right to work on looking at what the most cost-effective way to mitigate the situation might possibly be,” he said, adding they also looked at alternatives including relocating the proposed new building to another part of the site.
“Unfortunately, because the soil conditions are so pervasive throughout the site that doesn’t really help us,” Dogan said.
The group has developed a “cost-effective strategy to mitigate these issues,” he said. The soil work would include introducing more stone to help stabilize the soil and the installation of rammed aggregate piers, among other measures.
Dogan said poor soil was not found near the existing Public Works facility.
Construction work on the Public Works facility project is anticipated to begin in May 2026 with completion around the fall of 2027, village officials said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
