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Demolition begins on Opa! restaurant

Demolition began Monday on the former Opa! restaurant building in Vernon Hills as a crew with Tanzillo Contractors Inc. tore down walls and separated scrap metal and wood.

The Vernon Hills Park District and the village bought about 3 acres, including the former restaurant building at Lakeview and Hawthorn parkways, for $2.2 million.

As part of a collaborative effort, the village contributed $1.5 million and the park district $700,000 to purchase the property that overlooks Little Bear Lake.

The land will be used as an extension of adjacent Century Park and make it the district's largest park.

Vernon Hills Mayor Roger Byrne approached park district officials with the concept of purchasing the land as "a nice extension of the existing open space."

"This isn't without precedent," Byrne said. "I'm sure it will work out nice and people will enjoy the vista that will be created."

The park district held several meetings the last couple of months to determine plans for the site.

  A Tanzillo Contractors, Inc. demolition crew tears down the former Opa! restaurant in Vernon Hills on Monday. Vernon Hills Park District officials and the village board bought about 3 acres, including the former restaurant and plan to use the land to extend Century Park. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com
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