Illinois lawmakers want to know how a company contracted to run the state’s seven tollway oases was able to default on its lease and why nobody knew it was in trouble.
Illinois lawmakers want to know how a company contracted to run the state’s seven tollway oases was able to default on its lease and why nobody knew it was in trouble. Members of the state’s Toll Highway Authority were grilled at a legislative hearing Wednesday but offered few answers. In 2002, California-based Wilton Partners was awarded a 25-year contract to redevelop and manage the rest stops. But it recently defaulted on an $83 million loan to redevelop and manage the oases and the lender sued. Wilton still owes the tollway authority more than $2.5 million in back rent. State Sen. Susan Garrett of Lake Forest calls the situation "troubling." Tollway directors say they will submit a list of ways to ensure better oversight of contracts in the future. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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