Huntley buys former Catty Corp. property as part of downtown revitalization program

HUNTLEY – Huntley has bought the former Catty Corp. property as part of the village's effort to revitalize the downtown area.

The village closed on the property, which sits near the railroad tracks south of Main Street, on Feb. 9 for about $425,000, Huntley Village Manager Dave Johnson said.

More than $5 million in overall improvements to Huntley's downtown square were finished in 2016, including streetscape improvements, renovation of the square and the facade improvement program.

“To have the building sitting right in the middle of the improvements we’ve been making is not an ideal situation,” Johnson said.

At the next Committee of the Whole meeting, village trustees will discuss transferring about $150,000 from the capital projects fund to the downtown tax increment financing fund to use to maintain the site and begin preparation work for redevelopment of the property, according to village documents. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. Thursday at Huntley Village Hall, 10987 Main St.

Improvements would include removing a metal pole barn, boarding up windows and other access points to secure the main building, cleaning up garbage at the property and conducting groundwater sampling to accommodate a request for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, according to village documents.

Nancy Bacheller of the Huntley Area Public Library Local History Department said the building, 11117 S. Church St., dates to before 1900.

Businesses that have occupied it include Hezel's Creamery, Cornell Brothers' Milk Factory, Jelke Milk Co., Huntley Brewing Co., William Fencil Gasket Co. and H.D. Catty Corp., which was there from about 1945 to 2006 before moving to Harvard, Bacheller said.

Although it has a long history in the village, the building does not have any historic designations, Johnson said.

“The character of the building and its spot is an anchor downtown, and to the extent it can be saved – that’s something the village will consider moving forward,” Johnson said.

While no future use has been determined, he said the village hopes to find a partner to redevelop the site. The 3-acre property has potential for multiple uses from commercial to residential, he said.