New Elgin group will keep an eye on older structures

There's a new group in Elgin, and despite its acronym, it has nothing to do with McDonald's or feet.

The Advocates to Revitalize Cultural and Historic Elgin Sites, or ARCHES, said it hopes to serve as a resource for preserving neighborhood anchors and encourage the creative reuse of older structures.

The group plans an initial meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave.

The idea came about a few years ago when members of the Northeast Neighborhood Association rallied to save -- for now -- the former D.C. Cook Communications building on North Grove Avenue from demolition to make way for a condominium development.

ARCHES members want to serve as a resource for others if a similar scenario surfaces.

Betsy Couture, an ARCHES member who also is a member of Elgin's Heritage Commission, said neighborhood anchors could include buildings, parks and even things like the west side Kline farm stand, which grew out of an old diner.

"If something comes up in a particular neighborhood that needs attention, why reinvent the wheel?" said Couture. "We trying to do this in a more positive, proactive way so it's a win-win for everybody."

ARCHES also said it hopes to expand beyond a single-issue like the Cook building to coordinate and galvanize support for preservation.

"We'd like people to know there's a place to go to find others of like thinking," added Lucy Elliot, an ARCHES member.

The group will meet on an as-needed basis and hopes to become an associate member within the Elgin Community Network.

At Monday's meeting, people will brainstorm ideas. Eric Pepa, an architect and heritage commission member, will speak about the reuse of older buildings.

One opportunity in the future could be encouraging a Minneapolis-based not-for-profit group to turn an older Elgin building or factory into a co-op for area artists.

Artspace is exploring whether to come to Elgin, but any development would be at least three to five years away.

In the meantime, ARCHES said it hopes to identify important landmarks and to raise awareness.

"It really at this point is just a pooling of resources and identifying people in the community," Elliot said. "We're spanning across the community and building relationships."

Residents were encouraged to call (847) 742-2857 or e-mail mikonins@aol.com with questions.