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A contract that would, among other things, lead to repair of the Swallow Cliff toboggan slides finally is ready for approval by Cook County Forest Preserve District commissioners.
A proposed contract with Urban Concession Managers was introduced Tuesday and will be sent to the board's finance committee for consideration. It would let the company take over management of the slides and all other amusement concessions in the forest preserves.
The company plans to repair the popular slides, which have been closed the past two winters because of disrepair. The district hopes to reopen them by late 2007.
Bylina said he hopes for a final vote on the deal in November, a month later than his staff predicted in June and a year after commissioners first gave Bylina the go-ahead to start negotiations.
"I'm hesitant to say it's behind schedule. What I would rather suggest is that we put a lot of time and effort into this one," Bylina said.
District officials spent several months working with preservation groups to create a strategy for negotiating with Urban Concessions, Bylina said. The district wanted to be sure the preserves did not turn into "a neon advertisement center," he said.
The company will not start looking for an operator for the slides or other concessions until a deal is signed, but Bylina said he's hopeful some action may be taken quickly.
"In our discussions we have had with Urban Concessions, we've kicked around and reviewed a number of the different activities," Bylina said. "They have, I believe, at least tentatively reached out (to possible vendors)."