'Win-Win': Borg Warner Property Rezoning Comes To Conclusion

FRANKFORT, IL — After months of delays, the Village of Frankfort Board of Trustees unanimously approved at its Monday meeting to rezone the Borg Warner Property from I-1 Limited Industrial to R-4 Attached/Single Family Residential.

The move paves the way for Borg Warner to sell the property, located at 300 Maple St., and allows the Village to begin working with potential developers to bring "quality residential housing," as Frankfort Mayor Keith Ogle described it.

"It’s a win-win for everybody," Ogle told Patch after Monday's meeting. "The negotiation was definitely a win for the residents of Frankfort. We avoided costly litigation that could’ve run in the millions of dollars, as initially indicated by Borg Warner."

Just prior to Monday's vote, Rod Carter, an attorney for Borg Warner, spoke to the board members publicly and informed them that Borg Warner had withdrawn its official objection to the rezoning.

After Carter's statement, Ogle told the board that “I truly believe, and continue to believe, that it’s better to negotiate than litigate. And I’m pleased to report the Village and Borg Warner have reached an agreement.”

As part of the deal, Ogle said that Borg Warner has agreed to donate the baseball fields on the property to the Frankfort Park District, but added that that part of the deal remained to be finalized.

After Monday's meeting, Ogle had plenty of praise for those who worked on the negotiations. That included Trustees Michael Leddin and Eugene Savaria, Village Administrator Rob Piscia, and Village attorneys.

Ogle also thanked Borg Warner for working with the Village and for their time operating in Frankfort.

“They’ve been a great corporate citizen of Frankfort for more than 50 years," Ogle said. "It’s good to see that we bring this property into alignment with our 2040 Comprehensive Plan but, also, kept a good relationship with them.”