Carol Stream begins move to temporary village hall
Carol Stream trustees broke ground Monday on a major renovation of village hall as police and employees prepare to begin moving out of the Gary Avenue building later this week.
The brief ceremony outside of the municipal center officially kicked off the $19 million, two-year project funded by cash reserves.
"It's been a long time coming," Mayor Frank Saverino said. "We're very proud to be able to take this project on and be able to pay cash for it."
Officials plan to complete the project in December 2018, and until then will run village business out of a leased facility on North Avenue, west of Schmale Road. Employees will relocate to the temporary offices between Friday and May 11.
The village will pay the property owner $577,500 over the course of the 22-month deal approved by the board in January.
Starting Friday, some operations of the Carol Stream police department will set up shop in the Glendale Heights municipal complex. That lease signed by the two villages costs Carol Stream a token $1.
Movers have indicated they can haul up to 240 pieces of boxes, furniture and other supplies per day to the 30,000-square-foot temporary space at 505 E. North Ave. That means two to three village departments will move over to the site each day, Assistant Village Manager Bob Mellor said.
The Gary Avenue building will remain open during the relocation. Officials will post updates about any disruptions in services on the village's website, carolstream.org.
The village board and plan commission will continue to host meetings at Carol Stream Fire District's Station No. 28 at 365 N. Kuhn Road.
Water bill payments can be dropped off at a box installed at the Ross Ferraro Town Center parking lot.
Crews, meanwhile, could mobilize construction equipment at the current village hall as early as May 15. The project will demolish a portion of the 40,400-square-foot building to make way for a three-level addition and new public entrance on the west side of the property.
Renovations will overhaul the building's layout to make village departments more accessible for residents.
The building's footprint should increase to 68,750 square feet.
Trustees have agreed to spend no more than $19 million on the cost of construction, the relocation and hiring consultants.