Cost concerns delay repairs of 101-year-old Glen Ellyn landmark
Glen Ellyn's 101-year-old water trough will wait another year to be restored.
Public works officials were hoping the village would spend about $25,000 to repair the historic structure at the downtown intersection of Main Street and Crescent Boulevard.
But village officials decided to delay the work for another year because of concerns with potential expenses for salt and stalled road construction projects.
"I think every board member totally supported doing it," Trustee Pete Ladesic said. "Just not at this time."
Now the work's expected to be completed next year.
"It was going to be a complete restoration to get it back to its original condition," public works director Joe Caracci said.
The original trough, an unofficial Glen Ellyn landmark that years ago helped quench the thirst of horses, has been moved to a number of locations throughout its history.
Restoring the structure was never an issue until last year, when leaders decided to temporarily move the trough during the Christmas holidays so a decorative tree could go in its place. It was the first time the trough had been moved in a couple of decades.
Meanwhile, age and previous damage from cars still have officials concerned about the trough's condition.
Caracci said there are structural and aesthetic reasons for restoring the piece. The work would include removing the paint, cleaning the structure, repairing some welds and repainting.
He's hopeful the trough will hold up through the two winter moves.
"Because our plans entail moving it yearly, we wanted to make sure that it really was structurally solid to be able to move year after year," Caracci said. "We feel comfortable moving it this year, but as it ages more and more, we would have some concerns."
Last year, Glen Ellyn officials discussed acquiring a replica trough they could move more comfortably and donating the original to the Glen Ellyn Historical Society.
In the end, officials decided to keep and showcase the original.