Monee Proceeds with Land Acquisition for Road Realignment; Secures $560k Grant

Village of Monee Board Meeting | October 8, 2025

Article Summary: The Monee Village Board passed a new ordinance authorizing the purchase of real estate at Cleveland Avenue and Monee Manhattan Road, a critical step for a planned street realignment. Officials also announced the receipt of a new $560,000 grant to support the project.

Cleveland Avenue Realignment Key Points:

• Ordinance Updated: The board repealed Ordinance #2095 and replaced it with Ordinance #2099 to designate Administrator Ruben Bautista as the negotiator for the property purchase.

• Negotiation Strategy: The village aims to negotiate a purchase but has retained counsel to file a condemnation suit if necessary.

• Grant Funding: Trustee Michael Wilson announced the village received an additional $560,000 grant for the project.

The Monee Village Board on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, refined its legal strategy to acquire land needed for the realignment of Cleveland Avenue and Monee Manhattan Road.

Village Attorney Larry Gryczewski explained that the board needed to repeal a previous ordinance and adopt a new one—Ordinance #2099—to specifically designate Village Administrator Ruben Bautista as the negotiator for the transaction. This change was requested by special counsel hired to handle the potential acquisition.

“We’re going to try to negotiate… but if we can’t, remember we hired counsel to file suit if necessary,” Gryczewski said.

The property acquisition is a necessary precursor to realigning the intersection, a project the village has been pursuing for several years to improve traffic flow and safety.

Trustee Michael Wilson added a significant financial update, announcing that the village has secured an additional $560,000 grant to apply toward the project costs.

“That’s great. Hopefully, we can get it going,” Wilson said. The ordinance passed unanimously.