Manhattan Park Board Rejects Site Plan Proposal, Halts Planning Over Cost Dispute

Manhattan Park Board Meeting | October 9, 2025

Article Summary: The Manhattan Park Board unanimously rejected a proposal for an architectural concept site plan from Arete Design Studio, effectively pausing future planning after developers expressed unwillingness to share in the associated costs. Executive Director Jay Kelly recommended halting the process until the district is in a better position to fund such planning internally.

Site Plan Proposal Key Points:

• Resolution 25-8, which would have approved a fee proposal from Arete Design Studio for a concept site plan, was denied in a 0-4 vote.

• The board had previously discussed the desire for developers to split the cost of site planning for future projects.

• Executive Director Jay Kelly reported that after meeting with developers, they were not willing to contribute to planning costs.

• The district will now wait until timing is better and will consider using internal funding for future facility planning.

MANHATTAN, IL – The Manhattan Park Board on Thursday, October 9, 2025, unanimously voted against moving forward with an architectural site plan after learning that developers were unwilling to help pay for the planning process.

The board denied Resolution 25-8, which would have authorized an agreement with Arete Design Studio, Ltd. for an architectural concept site plan. The motion, made by Treasurer Joe Farkas and seconded by Secretary Ed Ludwig, failed in a 0-4 vote.

Discussion among the board and Executive Director Jay Kelly centered on the desire for developers to split the cost of the site plan and future planning. However, Director Kelly stated that he had met with the developers, who were “not willing to split any planning costs.”

Following that report, Kelly recommended “not moving forward with the site plan and all future plans until the timing is better for the district.” He added that the district would be willing to examine its current land use for a potential facility and explore internal funding options in the future. The board concurred with the recommendation, leading to the unanimous denial of the resolution.