Gurnee board to decide Monday on demolishing old Dairy Queen

The Gurnee village board is poised to accept a bid to demolish two buildings in the Des Plaines River floodplain along Old Grand Avenue, including the former Dairy Queen.

The village purchased the buildings - which also housed a spa and vacuum repair business - in April 2020 for $275,000. The plan is to knock them down and remove the surrounding pavement. Doing so will allow the floodplain to do a better job of soaking up floodwaters. It also means the village has to spend fewer resources fighting rising waters and cleaning damage.

If the village board approves a bid for the demolition on Monday night, the work would likely happen after the annual Gurnee Days celebration slated for Aug. 7-8. The board meets at 7 p.m. at Gurnee village hall.