Mount Prospect hopes shuttered hotel reopens, but could seek its demolition

Mount Prospect has fined the owners of the vacant former Holiday Inn at 200 E. Rand Road over numerous code violations that, if not addressed, could lead village officials to seek the building's demolition.

An administrative adjudication judge approved $20,550 in fines last month against HDDA-Mount Prospect LLC, based in New York.

Village Manager Michael Cassady said the building, vacant for more than two years, has been vandalized repeatedly.

"The amount of time we have had to spend in terms of addressing vandalism in that building is considerable," Cassady said.

"We would like to see the hotel restored and brought back to life," he added. "That is our primary stretch of retail (space) in our community. We think it's a very viable property."

If restoration is not an option, the village could go to court seeking an order for demolition.

"There is a process, and we are not there yet," Cassady said.

The building's owners did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Besides the fine, the adjudication order states the company must correct the violations, which include broken slats and other damage to the wood fence on the east side of the property; multiple broken windows; trash around the property; and a nonoperational fire sprinkler system.

It also must pay the fine by Aug. 3 or the village could place a lien on the property and take other steps. such as denial of licenses, permits or zoning variances.

Reports of vandalism on the property go back to 2022. More recently, police on June 20 reported damage to windows, doors and the interior restaurant area of the hotel.

Police responded Thursday to a complaint by a village employee who said he found a broken window on the southeast corner of the building by the pool area when he and a boarding company were on the property.