Carol Stream village hall reconstruction running under budget

The reconstruction of Carol Stream's village hall is making major progress despite some weather-related hiccups.

A three-level addition now stands on the west side of the building, increasing the footprint of the village's municipal complex to 68,750 square feet.

With most of the roof - roughly 90 percent - installed over the structure, crews are working on interior carpentry throughout the building and putting up dry wall. By the end of the month, officials expect to open bids from furniture suppliers.

"Now you're starting to see how the rooms are taking shape," Assistant Village Manager Manager Bob Mellor said Tuesday.

The village has budgeted up to $19 million in cash reserves for the project that broke ground last May and a temporary headquarters to house employees in the interim. Construction costs alone are expected to reach $15.5 million.

But nearly a year into the work, the project is running about $500,000 under budget, Mellor said.

"Fortunately, the bids came in pretty favorably," he said.

The overhaul of the Gary Avenue building will provide needed space and an improved work environment for a municipal workforce that has multiplied in the nearly four decades since the building opened, officials say.

Crews demolished roughly three-quarters of the 40,400-square-foot building to make way for the addition. The project will renovate the rest of the 1970s-era building and install a new technology infrastructure. The layout also will be reconfigured to move the main operating offices - the departments with the most public interaction - to the first level.

"All the customer service components for the residents will be on the main floor," Mellor said.

Officials have tallied 40 days with construction delays stemming from the cold and snow over the winter. But the construction manager helping oversee the project anticipated some delays and still expects the project to be substantially complete by October, Mellor said.

"They still feel that they can get the work done on time," he said.

Employees could move back into the expanded building in phases in November or December. Since last May, most departments have been operating out of Suite No. 400 in the southern end of a leased facility at 505 E. North Ave.

The lease runs through Dec. 31, but provides for a three-month extension in the event construction falls behind schedule. The village likely won't need that extension, Mellor said.

Until village hall reopens, the temporary site continues to handle a number of public services, including water bill payments, police reports and building permitting.