East Dundee continues revamping downtown in 2015

The dust will continue to fly in East Dundee during 2015 as village leaders continue rebuilding their aging North River Street business area.

During December, construction crews worked through the holidays to revamp the former fire station, so the police department can be moved there in the spring.

Also, designed plans are under way to move a sewer lift station at the end of Meier Street. Once it is out of the way, the street will be extended over the Fox River Trail bike path and connected with North River Street.

Officials contend the extension will open another traffic route to the revitalized business district. In 2014, leaders and business owners have spent millions of dollars pumping life into the street and shops along it.

"If you haven't been in East Dundee in a while, you probably wouldn't recognize it," said village administrator Robert Skurla.

No longer do fire trucks start their calls from the Third Street station. With the help of voters and the $5 million bond sale they approved, fire trustees built a new station along Route 25.

East Dundee trustees want the firehouse to give the police department more room. It will cost $3 million to complete the renovations.

When it is moved, they will begin renovating the village, which is around the corner from the fire station. Plans call for the single first-floor of the building to be demolished and rebuilt to a two-story structure.

"We'll have to rebuild on an angle because a creek runs under the building and parking lot," Skurla said. "When we rebuild that portion of the building, we'll include an elevator, so the building is handicapped accessible."

As for the creek, only the parking lot will be over it.

Reconstructing the fire building will cost $3 million. Redeveloping the village hall will cost $2 million.

"We'll take out a short-term loan and repay it with our sales tax revenue," Skurla said. "We won't ask voters to repay the debt."

Work is expected to start within a year.

2014 was a very busy year concerning construction in East Dundee. Some of the projects trustees approved in the last 12 months included:

• Acquiring and demolishing half of the Doederlein Lumber company and paving a parking lot,

• Installing a caboose, stairs and decking from the parking lot,

• Renovating the Rakow Business furniture building for a medical supply company,

• Adding angled parking spaces along the street,

• Renovating an outdoor patio between Pasquale's pizza restaurant and the Piece-A-Cake Bakery,

• Installing trees along the road,

• And, stripping and repaving North River Street.