Prospect Heights city hall near completion

After about two years of construction, Prospect Heights' new city hall will be opening next week, allowing residents to do business with city staff at that location, city officials said Thursday.

City staff will be moving in boxes and files on Monday and Tuesday, with the $2.5 million city hall opening to the public shortly thereafter, said acting Mayor Pat Ludvigsen.

"We are very excited to be back in our city hall and not working out of cardboard boxes like we have been for the past two years," Ludvigsen said.

City staff has been working out of the basement of the police station, 14 E. Camp McDonald Road, since the old city hall burned down. Police deemed the April 13, 2006, fire to be arson, but never charged anyone with the crime. The investigation is ongoing, city officials said.

The new city hall will be very much like the last one. It will be on the same footprint of about 10,000 square feet.

The major differences will be the addition of a sprinkler system and an elevator between the upper and lower levels.

City hall will operate with the same hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It's closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

When the city hall opens, a sign will be posted in front of police station, alerting residents who come to do business there that city hall has moved to 8 N. Elmhurst Road, Ludvigsen said.

The city is planning a grand opening as early as the end of this month, but the exact date and type of celebration is still being worked out.

Prospect Heights Fire District officials have said a sprinkler system in the old building would have preserved it. Investigators weeks later found an accelerant in the debris and ruled the fire deliberate.

Some records were lost, but there were no injuries. City council meetings were moved to the Gary Morava Recreation Center, 110 W. Camp McDonald Road. The next council meeting on July 21 will be held at the new city hall. Ludvigsen said.