The Enchanted Forest, the long-closed indoor amusement park in Utica, will become a sports complex.

Monday, the La Salle County Board approved a $20,000 bid by developer Mike Bird to acquire the long-closed structure from the county, which holds the title after years of tangled bankruptcy proceedings. The bid was awarded by unanimous acclamation.

“I’m really excited and this will be a good thing for the community,” Bird said. He anticipates getting to work “as soon as possible.”

La Salle County Treasurer Jim Spelich said he spoke with representatives of all the affected taxing bodies and “all of them were in favor” of the sports complex proposal.

Utica Mayor David Stewart was present for Monday’s discussion and said he’s eager to see the nuisance property – it has been overgrown and vandalized – redeveloped and again generate property taxes.

“Of the bids you have received, yes, this is definitely a use the village could see happening in the community,” Stewart said.

Spelich noted that the board, when deciding matters of surplus property, can award bids based not on the highest bidder but upon which proposal best suits the zoning laws and neighboring properties.

“We don’t necessarily have to go along with the highest bid,” Spelich said, acknowledging there were larger sums offered but for more questionable uses. One suitor wanted it for boat storage.

The developers who opened Grand Bear Lodge (now Grand Bear Resort at Starved Rock) had envisioned a multi-phase resort and developers did build an enclosed structure that included amusement park rides.

The developers later filed for bankruptcy, however. Though the lodge was acquired and rebranded by the Sonnenschein Groupe, the separately-organized Enchanted Forest languished years in bankruptcy, unwanted and neglected.

On paper, Bird is getting a bargain – Spelich acknowledged the two parcels are valued at $1 million – but board member Ray Gatza (R-Dimmick) pointed out that after years with no ownership or maintenance, Bird would doubtless have to invest heavily in its rehabilitation.

“I think this can help La Salle County long-term,” Gatza said, expressing a desire to get the property back on the tax rolls.

Board member Arratta Znaniecki (R-Ottawa) asked how much tax revenue La Salle County lost during the 12 years the building languished. Answer: $471,000.

Board member Stephen Aubry said visitors to the Starved Rock area are always looking for family-friendly entertainment and that a sports complex would fit the bill well.

“We need to bring opportunities like this that do fill the hotel rooms,” Aubry said.

And while several board members expressed concern that Bird wouldn’t be bound by his pledge to rehab the property, board member Jill Bernal (D-Peru), a longtime acquaintance, said he harbored no such misgivings.

“I would take his word that he would do something very nice with that property,” Bernal said.