WINGS resale shop clears final obstacle to demolition

The charred white brick, trash mounds and collapsed green awnings serve as grim reminders of the accidental fire in June that shuttered the WINGS domestic violence agency's most lucrative resale shop.

But motorists who drive past the highly visible site at Northwest Highway and Rohlwing Road in Palatine every day soon will be rid of the eyesore.

WINGS Executive Director Rebecca Darr informed Palatine officials on Monday that Cook County finally issued a demolition permit for the building "after a month of nudging."

That was the last big hurdle, so now it's just a matter of working to disconnect utilities and submitting final paperwork to the village.

"More than anyone, we would like to see the demolition occur so that the corner where our store operated for 10 years can look good again," Darr wrote last week in an e-mail to village administrators.

Darr said the process took longer than many would have liked because fire investigators required several weeks to conclude the fire started due to a weather-related accident, and then WINGS had to wait for insurance payouts to be issued.

It's also been difficult to secure a construction company willing to take on a project for the money allotted by WINGS' insurance company. Darr said a subcontractor is generously donating one-third of the costs.

Once the site is cleared, Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen said the fence surrounding the charred building can be removed. A concrete slab likely will remain until WINGS decides whether to rebuild there.

The demolition will likely coincide with the grand opening of WINGS' new store at 1315 N. Rand Road in Palatine, which Darr believes will take place later this month.

Before the June 18 storm hit, causing high winds to make a utility pole flex and high-voltage power lines to snap and contact the building, the resale shop brought in more than $500,000 a year in revenue.