Story posted Thursday, August 20, 2009
Clock Tower Plans Clock In
Ten years after the plan was devised, a clock tower in Wheeling took a step toward reality.
The Wheeling Village Board on Monday, Aug. 17, agreed to pay Camburas & Theodore of Chicago $2,500 to design a 15-foot tower, benches, and a tiered planter for the southwest corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Dundee Road. The corner is on the edge of the site of Fresh Farms International Market and shopping center.
In April, the board voted unanimously to approve a Tax Increment Funding agreement between the village and the market. The incentives include $1.5 million upfront for TIF-eligible expenses including engineering and site plans. The rest of the incentives include $3.75 million over a 20-year period. The village will rebate 66% of the increased sales tax. The project, expected to cost about $26 million, includes the demolition of the existing center followed by a rebuilding.
The tower is on village-owned land at the corner. Trustee Patrick Horcher said the village had a "general idea for a clock tower" in 2000, but was waiting to act on it.
A representative for the design firm presented several plans including a large, stone clock tower at the Monday meeting.
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