Historic Busse building in Mount Prospect to be razed

The historic Busse building in downtown Mount Prospect is on its way to being demolished in the wake of the devastating February fire.

Officials at first thought part of the 89-year-old building could be salvaged, but Dave Strahl, Mount Prospect assistant village manager, said Wednesday that the entire building will be taken down over the next month.

"The building was a total loss," he said. "I'm sure from a financial standpoint it wasn't viable based on the age and the damage."

The building will be coming down slowly and won't require any road closures, but it will leave a fairly visible hole through Mount Prospect's downtown.

Sakura Japanese Restaurant, 105 S. Main St., where it's believed the fire started in the early morning hours of Feb. 9, was destroyed.

Other businesses that were damaged in the fire, including Central Continental Bakery, Picket Fence Realty and the Chamber of Commerce, have already relocated.

Strahl said village officials are working with the building's owner, but he will have to decide what to do next.

"We would definitely like to see something happen," Strahl said. "Hopefully it won't stay vacant for very long."

The building could be home to new retail or office space in the future, but it could take some time, Strahl said.

The historic building at one point was home to Meeske's Market, a suburban grocery store that opened in 1926.