Campground Sale to Des Plaines Delayed to 2027
The Chicago District Camp Ground Association has pushed the closing on its 22-acre sale to the city to February 26, 2027.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Camping
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The Chicago District Camp Ground Association has not finalized the sale of 22 of its 27 acres to the city of Des Plaines, which was scheduled to close October 31, 2025. The closing date has been extended to February 26, 2027.
Why it matters
The delay affects the future of a historic campground site and the city's plans to bring dilapidated cottages into code compliance. The dispute remains before a Cook County judge after campground leaders refused a city directive.
The campground owns 27 acres east of the Des Plaines River near Algonquin Road, and the city agreed in May to buy 22 acres for $4 million while the campground keeps five acres at the southeast corner. The city issued citations mandating rehabilitation or demolition of as many as 70 white cottages, and the campground has not yet said when occupants will fully vacate.
The players
Chicago District Camp Ground Association
A religious campground organization that has operated on the Des Plaines property and is now selling most of its acreage to the city.
City of Des Plaines
The municipal government purchasing 22 acres and enforcing code compliance on the dilapidated cottages on the property.
United Methodist Church
A Protestant denomination whose officials have asserted an interest in the property because of the church's long historical involvement with the land.
The details
Campground leaders say they need more time to confirm that all cottage occupants have left, as required before the sale can close, and United Methodist Church officials have raised claims tied to the land's long history. Once the sale is complete, the city plans to bring the structures into code compliance, and the historic tabernacle is to be moved to the five retained acres.
Timeline
1860s: Major religious revivals were held on the land featuring prominent Christian figures.
May: The city and campground agreed to the sale of 22 acres for $4 million.
October 31, 2025: The original closing date for the sale was scheduled.
February 26, 2027: The new extended closing date for the sale.
Legacy Land
The campground's religious revivals in the 1860s established the site as a regional gathering place that now faces conversion to public open space under city ownership. The sale extends that history into an expanded open area connecting the campground land with Northwestern Woods, almost stretching to Miner Street.
Residents near Algonquin Road and the Des Plaines River will see the cottages addressed under city code enforcement and the 22-acre parcel converted toward public use once the sale closes. Until then, the campground and its cottage occupants remain in place under the pending dispute.
The takeaway
Long-running land disputes often hinge on procedural steps like occupant relocation and competing ownership claims, which can push closings back by well over a year. Readers following local development should watch for the February 2027 date and any ruling from the Cook County judge.
What happens next
The property sale is set to close on February 26, 2027, if the remaining conditions are met.
Further reading
For more on outdoor gathering spaces, see Camping coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Journal Online.
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