Lake in the Hills public works expansion about done

The $2.8 million expansion of the Lake in the Hills public works facility on Haligus Road is nearing completion.

While construction of additional office space and a storage garage was finished earlier this summer, a number of ancillary upgrades remained.

"We are just about done," said Dave Gregoria, assistant director of public works. "There are parking lot improvements out the back that they are going to start on next week."

The department also is requesting village board approval for the installation of a storm sewer and the construction of a trash container enclosure.

Trustees are expected to approve the requests at tonight's board meeting.

Gregoria said the loose ends should be tied up by mid-October.

The project, designed by Wold Architects and Engineers of Elgin with construction by Lamp Inc. of Elgin, has added 2,500 square feet to the original 6,000-square-foot office space. A 14,000-square-foot garage also was built onto the existing 13,000-square-foot space.

Built in 1994, the old facility accommodated 16 people serving a population of about 10,000.

Today, the department and village are distinctly larger. A staff of 43 now serves a population of more than 29,000.

Before the expansion, Gregoria said employees and supervisors often were separated in different areas of the building.

The department's three divisions -- public properties, streets and water and the public works administration --now are more efficient, Gregoria said.

"This allows our superintendents to have an office in the area near division employees," Gregoria said. "Now we are organized by division. Before, employees were tucked in wherever we could fit them."