Lockport Authorizes Purchase Of Three Properties In Downtown Area

LOCKPORT, IL — The Lockport City Council authorized the purchase of three properties in Lockport at its Wednesday meeting.

The first property, located at 107 S. State St (at Second Street), will be purchased for $290,000. According to City documents, the current owner of the residential property will be allowed to stay in the home until June 30. The structure will be demolished in the future.

City Administrator Ben Benson said the City noticed the property come on the market recently and decided to purchase it.

"We call this a strategic acquisition," Benson said. "This is positioning, basically at the entrance way of Second and State, which could be to the future Star Innovation District, so it made some sense."

The second property is at 108 Seventh St., and will be purchased for $294,350. The third property is at 623 S. State St., and will be purchased for $150,000.

Benson said the second and the third property "kind of come together."

The properties are two lots at the corner of Seventh and State, Benson said.

"There was a home on one, and the other was vacant," he added. The current owner of the home can stay in the home until May 31. The home will be demolished in the future.

"This will be basically a future parking lot in support of downtown commercial and retail development," Benson said.

The properties could specifically support the pending commercial/residential building at 711 S. State St., Council documents state.