Elgin Professional Building meets life safety plan

The owners of the Professional Building in downtown Elgin have finally installed smoke detectors in all units to complete a life safety plan more than three weeks after a deadline imposed by the city.

The Elgin City Council had passed up the chance to terminate the city's lease with the Elgin Art Showcase — located on the building's top floor — once the Jan. 31 deadline had passed, choosing instead to wait for the work to be completed.

The building at 164 Division St. already had smoke detectors in all common areas and now has 198 wireless smoke detectors throughout its eight floors, Fire Chief John Fahy said.

“We are happy to see that building now is in compliance,” Fahy told the city council on Wednesday night. “That building really is a gem. When you walk through it, it brings you back to yesteryear.”

When a smoke detector sounds an alarm, fire officials will know, based on a panel in the lobby, exactly which detector is transmitting the signal, Fahy said.

He previously said there were no safety concerns because of all the other measures in place in the Professional Building.

Councilman Rich Dunne, a former city fire marshal, earlier this month objected to the city council's decision not to enforce a clause to terminate the annual $43,000-or-so lease. He claimed the city's was being “willful and wanton,” a notion disputed by the city's corporation counsel.

Dunne said on Wednesday that residents can now “sleep comfortably” knowing all safety measures are in place.

“It's been 10 years in the process, and I'm very happy to see it's been resolved,” he said, congratulating the fire department.