THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
Two Years Later, New City Hall Nearly Complete
By BOBBY CHILVER
Journal Reporter
Last week marked the two-year anniversary of the burning down of Prospect Heights City Hall, and boy have things come a long way since.
On the night of Apr. 13, 2006, flames engulfed the building for hours as firefighters desperately tried to subdue the flames, which reportedly reached heights of 30 to 40 ft. at times. The roof of the building eventually burned up and collapsed, leaving it irrepairable.
Some important files were kept in fireproof vaults but the city still lost countless other items of information.
Initially, it was suspected that a lightning strike could have started the fire, as there were storms in the area that night. But officials were notified the next day by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that an accelerant substance had be used to fuel the fire, therefore making it an arson case.
"We were devastated," City Administrator Pam Arrigoni, then assistant city administrator, said. "And then to find out it was arson was even worse. That's kind of frightening."
But in their time of need, the rest of the city stepped up. Since the fire, city officials have made a temporary City Hall in the basement of the police station and city meetings are held in extra rooms at the Park District's Gary Morava Center.
"I don't know where we'd be without them," Arrigoni said.
Two years later, the new City Hall structure is nearly complete and officials can't wait to get back their home.
"We're really looking forward to it," Arrigoni said.
Having the building completely rebuilt has also allowed them to include improvements such as code upgrades, a full elevator and a sprinkler system to fight off another disaster.
Arrigoni said the core of the building is now complete, wiring is in and a full generator was just dropped in last Thursday.
Crews will begin installing the elevator this week and then begin putting together smaller projects like the bathrooms and plumbing. She said they are shooting for a June opening, one that it has been a long time in the making.