The purchase of a property in southern Bourbonnais is hoped to be a gateway for safety and The Grove, the village’s largest park and public gathering place.

Trustees approved the purchase during Monday’s board meeting.

The property, 167 West Marsile St., is near Dairy Queen and the village’s busy triangle intersection, Main Street NW and South Main Street.

The current owner of the property is Ascher Enterprises.

According to the sale document, the village is purchasing the single-family residence for $275,000.

There is $5,000 in earnest money. The village has a two-month option on the property, village attorney Pat Dunn said.

“That way we can get to the new park that we’ve created in a more safe and friendly manner,” Dunn said.

If the village decides it does not want to purchase the property after two months, Ascher Enterprise would retain the $5,000 earnest money.

Administrator Mike Van Mill said funding would come primarily from grants.

“We’re hoping to find an alignment not requiring a lot of capital expenditure,” Van Mill said.

“The path has been something that we’ve been talking about since we started the plan for The Grove, which has to be at least going on six years now or so.”

The pathway would take foot traffic off Main Street northwest (aka Illinois Route 102).

“The walking paths that we currently have are right up against Route 102, and it just does not make for a very safe situation. So what we try to do is what we call a separated path, separated from the roadway, and make it a nicer neighborhood route to get from The Grove to what we call the downtown area.”

The actual location of the path is a work in progress, Van Mill said.

“We’ve got property owners that we’re going to have to meet with, but if we don’t have the terminus there, or the entryway, we really don’t have anywhere else to go,” Van Mill said.

“So making a commitment like this is very important to show that we are serious about making the path work, connecting that area to our Grove, and I think this is just the first step we’re really excited about.”

Safety is the priority for pedestrians and cyclists heading to and from The Grove, Dunn said.