Despite setbacks, Palatine village hall renovation remains on track

Despite some unfavorable weather and a construction crane that wouldn't stay upright, Palatine officials say the first 10 months of the $12.7 million project to renovate village hall have gone well and they hope staff will be moving back into the building by June.

Work to strip the 63-year-old building down to its studs and rebuild it started last December and is now just over halfway done. Director of Community Services Harry Spila said the gutted structure will undergo a dramatic change before winter hits.

"By the end of the year it will look like a building (again), at least on the outside," Spila said. "We want to button everything up before getting into winter. We have to have it all weather tight so they can focus on interior work."

Although in its current state it may be difficult to imagine, when finished, the former Palatine High School will sport a new, modern look. The drab concrete that currently tops the building will be covered by aluminum panels, and its brick exterior will receive a facelift.

Perhaps the most striking feature planned is the large section of exterior wall and roof just to the right of the main entrance. It's been removed and will be replaced with glass, letting natural light into the building.

It was while work was taking place near this area earlier this month that a construction crane slowly fell into the building. The outriggers on the crane that help it to remain stable were placed on an area of backfill that proved not firm enough to support it, causing the equipment to topple.

Village Manager Reid Ottesen said the crash won't significantly slow progress.

"A couple steel beams got a couple corners bent that they are going to replace," Ottesen said. "Until the steel is set they can't start in on the roofing, so you lose a couple of days to that, but there's plenty of other work to be doing."

Spila said the crash did more damage to the contractor's crane than the project.

"It was kind of a slow impact, it wasn't really that bad," he said. "Luckily nobody was injured."

The only other delays crews have experienced thus far had to do with last winter's frigid weather that froze power washers and other equipment, and an especially rainy spring that limited exterior work.

Beyond the building simply looking better, Spila said the new village hall is going to be greatly improved for public use thanks to additional meeting rooms.

"It is going to be a great space for the community," he said. "The public will be able to utilize the space in ways they weren't able to do the old building."