Demolition inside Palatine village hall nearly complete, project on schedule
Contractors hired to oversee the $12.7 million renovation of Palatine's village hall said work to strip the 63-year-old building down to its studs is nearly complete and the project is on schedule.
Todd Peyron, from Camosy Construction, said crews are working to remove nearly everything from the building's interior that can be removed.
“We're pulling out block, brick, drywalls, acoustical ceilings, plumbing,” said Peyron, adding that an old elevator and student lockers left over from the building's origin as Palatine High School are also on the way out. “It's a complete gut,”
Once the gutting is done, work to modernize and reorganize the building will begin.
Among the more striking changes planned are roof improvements that will let more light into the building. A portion of the second floor above the lobby will be opened to allow natural light to travel all the way down to the main floor.
Village Manager Reid Ottesen said part of the second floor has been opened, and already crews are putting the space to good use by dropping debris down the hole to quickly get it to the first floor. Once the debris is at ground level, it is pushed to a room in the building that will be removed as part of the renovations.
“They're just filling (the room) right now with debris from inside so when they collapse the walls they can just bulldoze it all out of there.” Ottesen said.
The building, located at 200 E. Wood Street, houses both the village hall and the Palatine Park District. Though much of the interior work is being contained to the village's side of the building, the entire building will see extensive exterior remodeling.
The drab concrete that currently tops the building will be covered by aluminum panels, and its brick exterior also will receive a facelift.
Work began late last year and is expected to continue through 2015. New construction is expected complete in early 2016, according to a Web page the village created to update residents on progress.
For now, the village is operating out of a temporary location at 150 W. Wilson St., just south of the railroad tracks.