IDOT seeks court's OK to acquire, buy private property for U.S. Route 14 project

The Illinois Department of Transportation is seeking a court order to acquire property so it can widen and reconstruct U.S. Route 14 at Wilke Road in Cook County.

IDOT filed a complaint for condemnation July 7 in the Cook Count Circuit Court against Arlington Park Racecourse LLC, JP Morgan Chase Bank N.A., Northeast Illinois Regional Commuter Rail Corp. and unknown owners.

According to the complaint, all of the defendants own, are interested in or may claim some interest in the four parcels of land the state agency wants for its U.S. Route 14 project.

The department asserts it has offered to purchase the property from the defendants, but has been unable to reach an agreement with them.

Under its eminent domain powers, IDOT claims it is authorized to proceed and filed the complaint to acquire the property.

The department is asking the court to issue a summons to each of the defendants, vest it with the property, and hold proceedings to determine the just compensation to be paid to the defendants.

IDOT is being represented by Douglas G. Felder, a Chicago attorney designated as a special assistant attorney general.

Cook County Circuit Court case number 2014L050520.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed at the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note that a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it represents only one side of the story.