Elk Grove Village hall schedule to open in April

Elk Grove Village will be showing off its new $29 million village hall in April, right before it opens that month, village officials said.

While the exact times have not been figured out, the dates of the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the grand opening have been determined, Mayor Craig Johnson said Wednesday.

On Thursday, April 9, village officials will hold a ribbon cutting event, Johnson said. Local dignitaries will be invited to witness the opening of the hall.

On Saturday, April 11, residents will be able to inspect the village hall for themselves.

Residents will be able to tour the two-story building with a lower level, which also has what's called a living roof.

The village has put in plants that generate greater amounts of oxygen and absorb water, so there will be less water run off from the roof into the storm sewer system.

The village spent an extra $2 million to equip the building to be energy efficient. Among the energy-saving features, the lighting system brightens the room based on the sunlight outside. So, if it's sunny, the lights use less energy since more light streams through the windows than on a cloudy day.

Also, some rooms are heated based on sensors indicating when someone is in the room.

While the system costs extra to install, the village will recoup its money in about five years by using less energy, Johnson said.

The village approved the bond issue for the new hall in 2007. At the time, the village said the hall would be opened two years later. The hall will come in under budget by $3 million, Johnson said.

It was touted as a one-stop shop where the municipal functions were consolidated into one building. The fire department administration and the village's cable station, Channel 6, will be moved into the new complex.

The village's police station, which was attached to the village hall, was knocked down and police moved temporarily to 321 Bond St. The police station is being rebuilt as a two-story facility attached to the village hall with underground parking for the squad cars.

The police station was built about 37 years ago as a village hall, but was later refitted for the police department when the current hall was built. The police station falls short in its size, meeting about 83 percent of the work space required for a fully accredited law enforcement agency. It also did not comply with federal and state handicap codes. Additionally, it lacked enough space for required interview rooms, village officials said.