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Professional Buiding required to do life safety upgrades

The clock is ticking on the possible termination of the lease for the Elgin Art Showcase.

The owners of the Professional Building at 164 Division St., Elgin, where the Art Showcase is located, haven't met a Jan. 31 deadline to install smoke detectors in all units, city officials said. That's the last item needed to bring the building into compliance with life safety codes.

Contractor Chicago Metro Fire Protection said the fire system will not be fully operational before Friday because parts have been on back order, City Manager Sean Stegall told city council members via email Saturday.

Stegall recommended waiting to give a five-day notice to terminate the city's lease for the Art Showcase. If the work is not done by Friday, the city council could direct Corporation Counsel Bill Cogley to do that, Stegall said.

Public assembly at the Art Showcase is the issue at stake; shutting down the building is not on the table at this point, Stegall said.

Building co-owner Ron Cope was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Councilman Rich Dunne, a former city fire marshal who cast the only dissenting vote when the city renewed the lease in September, said the city should have moved forward with the termination notice.

The Professional Building has been required to do life safety upgrades since 2006, Dunne pointed out. Work completed over the years includes a sprinkler system on the first two floors, a fire alarm system in common areas, and fire doors with self-closer mechanisms. Also, there are smoke detectors in the hallways.

"I think considering we've never fined this building, never brought them before an adjudication officer, never brought them to court - and we've done all of that for what's lesser violations with our residents - we are not applying our code equally across the board."

There are about 50 events scheduled at the Art Showcase through December, Stegall said.

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