Internet Source Wireless Estimator.com Scoops Northwest Herald

Acting like Crystal Lake’s hometown news source,the Northwest Herald, has been scooped by internet news source WirelessEstimator.com has snagged the first interview with BMB Communications President John Macguire.

The article headline is

World’s tallest self supporting FM/TV steel tower proposed for Illinois college campus

Wouldn’t you think some Chicago media source would be interested in such a story, too?

Nothing yet, though.

But there may not be a $6 million upfront deal, as I assumed after reading BMB’s February 2nd press release.

Instead of paying $1.67 million per acre, Macguire told Wireless Estimator he is paying “fair market value” of $275,000 an acre.

That’s a bit more than the $67,000 per acre the college paid for the 57-acre Gilger property north and east of the college campus last year.

Maguire did say,

“The $6 million generated by McHenry County College from the sale of the property will go a long way to supporting educational opportunities in the community.”

The broadcast tower will be

“the tower will be the largest self supporting steel lattice tower in the world,”

the article says.

Higher than the tallest now, which is Kiev.

“‘The college would also share in the fees that we get for each station that goes on the tower,’ Maguire said, stating that the amount would be in excess of $5 million,” the internet source revealed.

So, it appears that the college may be betting on the come, rather than being guaranteed $6 million.

And, so far, no details except the special meeting date that BMB announced in its press release on Feb. 2nd has been added to the McHenry County College web site.

If reached, the deal would like dormant until four FM stations agree to use it was more new information revealed.

We know that it will be 1,500 feet high, but Wireless Estimator got the following new information from Macguire:

  • leg to leg distance to be 136 feet
  • property size – about 400 feet by 400 feet
  • six to eight million pounds of steel costing $10 million (@ $1.25 per pound)
  • total construction cost $18 million
  • project cost – $24 million
  • capacity – 14 FM stations, plus a TV station
  • no public observation areas

The Kiev tower at the top of the story and the aerial view of the site are re-printed with permission from Wireless Estimator.com. The photo of John Maguire and a Mr. Kirchner, first name unknown (and not even included in the MCC Board minutes of February 28, 2008) taken at this memorable meeting.

But we still don’t know what the tower Macguire wants to build will look like.


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