Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat.
About $4.75 million in state funds may be coming to not only fund a new police station in Shiloh but also for related infrastructure work and improvements to Yorktown Golf Course.
Mayor Robert Weilmuenster announced recently that State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea and State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, stated in a letter marked Dec. 22 that $4 million is targeted for the police station, $650,000 for Yorktown Golf Course and $100,000 for streets and derelict properties.
“It’s a very nice Christmas present for the village,” Weilmuenster said. “Certain board members supported this and worked hard to make things happen.”
The funds are part of the state budget appropriations approved last May. However, the legislators wanted to make it clear that “even though these items appear in the state budget, it is uncertain when these funds will be released for these items.”
“As you can imagine, there are a number of state and federal laws that need to be followed before the funding can be released,” the letter stated. “This is a lengthy process that for some projects can take years to complete. Also, the revenue for the state must be sufficient to allow release.”
Once the funds are available, the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity will reach out and guide village officials through the process.
Both legislators plan to attend the Shiloh Village Board’s Committee at Large meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22, at the Shiloh Municipal Building, Weilmuenster confirmed.
Police station needs
The need for a larger Shiloh Police Station has been a growing issue in the village as the population increased to 14,098 in the 2020 Census.
The state funds are for “costs associated with building acquisition and renovations.”
For 14 years, the village has rented a building on the Wilke Window and Door property at 3498 Lebanon Avenue for police use. The rent is $45,459 per year, and increases 2.5% annually, the mayor said.
“The police are very happy about this news. They have needed this for so long,” Weilmuenster said. “A good facility helps retain and attract new officers.”
Police Chief Rich Wittenauer was not available for comment. But he did comment last April during a building tour.
He pointed out the lack of space if the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis is called in to assist with a major crime, and no sally port to securely transport prisoners in and out of the building.
Wittenauer, who has been with the village since 2017, said the current facility was built as a home, and a holding cell is a closet.
“We need more room for tech, more staff. In the interview room, you can hear officers talking about others over the phone,” he said.
Wittenauer noted that with the Auffenberg car dealerships now in Shiloh, there is a need for extra patrols, and because of population growth, there is more traffic.
Other members of the police department have been vocal as well, amplifying its inadequacies to operate effectively in modern times. The police department employs 23, including two clerks.
Tentative plans are under way to construct a new building on the Shiloh Mobile Home Park at 105 S. High St., which had been owned and operated by George Portz since 1988, and before that, his parents Harold and Kathaleen Portz, when they moved to Shiloh in 1964.
George Portz died at age 70 on Jan. 9, 2023, and his daughter, Kaitlin Huelsman of Freeburg, who manages the estate, has been in negotiations to sell the property to the village.
“It’s five-plus acres, centrally located and has two entrances. It’s behind Circle K and near the cemetery,” Weilmuenster said. “It’s been in very poor shape. Those infrastructure funds will be used to remove the mobile homes and clean up the area.”
In addition to the $4 million, infrastructure improvements totaling $100,000 are earmarked for roads, sewer and water improvements, and/or sidewalks, or demolition of derelict and abandoned properties.
Weilmuenster said city officials have talked with FMG Engineering, which specializes in municipal infrastructures, about plans to tour the property. FMG oversaw construction of Highland’s new public safety building, which opened in November 2021.
“We’re looking at other facilities, and seeing what makes sense,” Weilmuenster said. “We’re evaluating the needs – what will people need a year from now and put those needs first.”
Yorktown golf course improvements
Opened in 1961, Yorktown Golf Course was purchased by the village in 2014. The 18-hole, lighted, Par-3 course designed by Bob Goalby and Pete Dye is built on 32 acres. Goalby, a professional golfer from Belleville, won the Masters Golf Tournament in 1968. Last April, the village sponsored the first annual Green Jacket Tournament, and several events themed to the iconic PGA Tournament.
Yorktown offers a driving range, a large putting and chipping green, and a clubhouse with snacks and a bar inside. In 2017, the clubhouse was renovated with new restrooms, utilities, patio, and landscaping, and outdoors, upgrades included new cart bridges and granite tee markers.
Driving range improvements would make it accessible year-round, and add revenue, Weilmuenster said.
“It’s already lit. If we add heaters, it could generate revenue year-round, and it could be like Top Golf. The clubhouse can be used for events year-round,” he said.
The mayor said areas need asphalting, and improvements to the parking lot, sprinkler system, and covered pavilion are necessary to attract more customers.
Road to new police station
The Wilke complex began as a business in 1960, developed by Norm Wilke. The property also includes Norm’s Bargain Barn and Lifestyle Kitchens & Baths.
Steve Wilke, Norm’s son, is the current CEO of Wilke Window and Door. His son, Matthew Wilke, is a trustee on the village board, and was opposed to using capital funds for new police station construction last spring.
That plan, presented to the board for action in April, was embroiled in controversy related to the village’s sewer system and a development proposal.
In 2020, the village sold its wastewater department to Illinois American Water Company for $3.6 million, adding 1,515 wastewater customers. About $1.8 million remained from the sale, and several officials supported using it to fund a new police station.
Steve Wilke wanted the funds to be used for sewers on Ramona and Christine streets, which abutted Wilke’s property on Green Mount Road.
At the April 4 village board meeting, the mayor broke a 3-3 tie on a resolution that committed the $1.2 million fund balance for a new police station.
Weilmuenster said once the village privatized sewers, they do not make decisions on sewers. It’s solely up to Illinois American Water Company to expand sewer service, he said.
Weilmuenster the village has been applying for grants to help fund $1.2 million in capital improvements. The legislators were then made aware of the needs.
Shiloh's growth
Spanning over 11 miles, at present, Shiloh has a population density of 1,318 people per square mile. It has grown from 298 people in 1870 to its current figure of 14,352, according to 2022 updated census figures.
Population has soared ever since 1,045 people were recorded in 1980. During the next 10 years, the town more than doubled, to 2,655, according to the census figures, and in 2000, it was 7,643, an 187% increase. By 2010, the census was recorded at 12,651.
The village has become a hub of commerce and services, with Green Mount Crossing retail shops and restaurants, Target, Dierbergs Market, Auffenberg Dealer Group (Ford, Nissan, Volkswagen, Mazda, Kia, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep) and Memorial Hospital Shiloh, which is affiliated with BJC HealthCare.
Matt Auffenberg is currently constructing a Hyundai dealership across Frank Scott Parkway from the Auffenberg Dealer Group that moved from the Auto Mall in O’Fallon in 2022 to Shiloh.
“The walls are going up. They should be selling cars by June, July,” the mayor said.
Shiloh is also part of the St. Clair County MetroLink expansion that will extend the light-rail system 5.2 miles from the Shiloh-Scott Transit Center to the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah.
Construction began in November 2023 and is on track to be completed in the spring of 2026. The project is being funded, in part, by a $98 million Rebuild Illinois Grant received from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Lynn Venhaus reports for the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
