New village hall opens in Arlington Heights

After a nearly two-year break for construction, village business is once again being conducted in downtown Arlington Heights.

Bright and early Tuesday morning, the doors were officially unlocked on the new, $30 million village hall at the corner of Arlington Heights Road and Sigwalt Street.

"I think most people are excited to be back and back downtown," said Charles Witherington-Perkins, village director of planning and community development.

While still not completely finished, the new village hall is about 75,000 square feet and stands on the same footprint as the former municipal building and Fire Station 1, which were built in the early 1960s. The new building is about twice the size as the former village hall.

More Coverage Video , class="mediaItem">Take a tour of the village hall

Though he had to maneuver around some wet paint signs and workers handling last-minute tasks, Mark Toberman, one of the first residents through the door Tuesday, had nothing but compliments for the new building.

"I love it. It is bright, airy and fresh looking," he said.

James McCalister, the village's health department director, said his entire staff is thrilled to be working in the new space.

"It is a beautiful facility and it is really going to serve our needs well," McCalister said.

Witherington-Perkins said the building was designed to be convenient for residents.

The village finance, health and building departments are all located on the first floor, providing easy access for residents to the services they use most often.

There's also more public meeting space and a boardroom that can accommodate as many as 260 people.

Receptionist Peggy Reilly spent the morning telling all those who called that the new building was open and ready for business.

After working in cramped spaces for so long, Reilly said the new building will be welcomed among the village's staff.

"I think it is going to help everyone feel really good about coming to work everyday," she said.

During construction, village employees had been working out of a temporary location at Kennicott and Dundee roads.

The process of moving from there to the new building began over the weekend. Monday, village employees spent the day unpacking.

But there's still some work to go on the new building. The new boardroom is still under construction and won't be ready for use for a few months. Until then, village board meetings will continue to be held at the Arlington Heights Senior Center at 1801 W. Central Road.

The Municipal Garage, located behind village hall, was also reopened Tuesday.

The new village hall is part of the John G. Woods Municipal Campus, which also includes Fire Station No. 1, which opened in 2006, and the police headquarters.

The village's mailing address remains 33 S. Arlington Heights Road and the village's phone and fax numbers remain unchanged. The main number is (847) 368-5000.

A dedication ceremony and open house are being scheduled for the spring.