Prospect Heights City Hall rises from ashes

The same American Flag, a little yellowed from the smoke, flies over the building.

And some of the bricks from the old edifice are part of the new building.

But it is a new Prospect Heights City Hall that stands proudly on the foundation of the one that burned to the ground in April 2006.

On Sunday, visitors were treated to an open house for the new city hall, which took more than two years to build and cost in the neighborhood of $3 million.

What they found was a one-story building with a below ground level, composed of red brick, stone and a green steel roof.

Among the amenities are an elevator, a backup generator enabling it to function as a secondary emergency operations center and, most importantly, sprinklers.

"After the fire, there were some who said that we did not need to rebuild our city hall. But I, and thankfully many others, disagreed," said a triumphant Mayor Patrick Ludvigsen. "This building is more than just a place where you buy your vehicle stickers or get your building permits. It's the physical representation of our city government."

While there was triumph, City Administrator Pam Arrigoni struck a poignant note, recalling how an arsonist - one who has yet to be caught - burned down the old building.

"We reflect back with much sadness to think that someone had so much hatred or cowardice or simply malice in their hearts to set fire to this building," she said.

Arrigoni thanked the police department for letting the city use their basement as a temporary city hall.

"We were getting to be like the proverbial in-laws that just never knew when to leave. But we are home, and it's good to be here," she said.

Ludvigsen recalled the hard work necessitated by the fire.

"Thousands and thousands of city records had to be dried out, reorganized and stored temporarily in boxes in a way that would allow staff to continue to serve the residents of Prospect Heights."

Among those on hand were Illinois State representatives Sidney Mathias and Elaine Nekritz, who worked to obtain about $150,000 in grants for ADA accessibility and city water.

Ludvigsen gave credit to former Mayor Rodney Pace for selecting the site for the city hall in 2003.

City Treasurer Rich Tibbits said they waiting for some of the money from the city's insurance company.

"I don't know where the numbers are going to fall, because we're still waiting for some reimbursement from the insurance company. Certainly by the end of the year, we'll know for sure what the final numbers are."

Building and Zoning Director Steve Skiber gave much credit to a team that included Bear Construction and Kostus Architects.

"We have got a safe, functional municipal building to serve the residents for many years to come," he said.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=240181">Rebuilding Prospect Heights hall after arson <span class="date">[10/03/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=233422">Prospect Heights city hall extending hours, holding grand opening <span class="date">[09/08/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=223199">Prospect Heights' new city hall up and running <span class="date">[07/24/08]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=7847">Prospect Hts. city hall cost put at $2.8 million <span class="date">[07/24/07]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>