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Elgin Tower battles for survival

The iconic Elgin Tower Building reminds me of the Daily Planet, where Clark Kent worked. With 15 stories and 186-feet-tall stands above all else in downtown Elgin.

The art deco structure of gray granite and limestone was built in 1929 by St. Louis Bank Building and Equipment Company to house another bank.

It was designated a local historic landmark in 1998.

But the tower was hit hard by the Great Recession, and tenants dwindled. A host of maintenance problems, such as water leaks and elevator issues, ensued.

And when a fire was set inside the building, it was condemned in May 2014.

Earlier this year, the tower received a different historic designation: Landmarks Illinois named it among the 2015 most endangered historic places.

So, there was widespread enthusiasm when Chicago developer Richard Souyoul approached the city with plans to fix the building and create apartments, giving the city's downtown a boost. Souyoul needed government help, though, and is in line to receive about $4.7 million from a special taxing district the city would set up, plus about $2 million in state tax credits. That would be funneled toward his $14 million overhaul of the building.

But all that is on hold because of some head-scratching litigation from the tower's next-door neighbor: Gasthaus Zur Linde, a German-themed bar.

The Gasthaus owner, Marco Muscarello, represented in court by his son Charles, have filed and refiled a lawsuit attempting to block the tower redo.

The Muscarellos have been rather hazy about the motive behind their lawsuit, though Marco has claimed the city wants to take his building for the project, something the city denies.

Otherwise, consider this verbiage in the 80-page document filed last week in objecting to the city's early approval of the project: "The conditional use permit is arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable and not substantially related to the health, safety, morals, and general welfare of the public because Elgin's action in authorizing the conditional use permit were a mere charade intended as nothing more than a facade of compliance with its own ordinance."

But some suspect this is less about due process for the public at large and more about retribution.

The Gasthaus' 3 a.m. liquor license has come under fire because of late-night disturbances at the bar. The liquor control commission is contemplating changing the license back to a standard 2 a.m. version.

Having people work on and eventually live in the Elgin Tower Building would bring more customers to all nearby businesses, including and perhaps especially the Gasthaus.

"I think the whole thing is stupid," Leo Urdaneta, owner of Domani Cafe, told staff writer Elena Ferrarin in her Friday story on the refiling of the lawsuit. "I don't really understand what is their point in stopping the development of this building."

Next court hearing: Aug. 12.

jdavis@dailyherald.com

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Los Angeles Public LibraryThe Daily Planet building, which is really the E. Clem Wilson building in Los Angeles.
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