Old Rosemont Village Hall to be Demolished for Development

A decades-old office highrise in Rosemont is trading nostalgia for potential, as demolition paves the way for development opportunities in the heart of the village.

A $1.3 million contract with Elgin-based demolition company Omega was approved by the village board on Monday, signaling the end of an era for the former Rosemont village hall building and the adjacent parking structure at 9501 West Devon Avenue, the Daily Herald reported.

The eight-story building, across from Rivers Casino, offers significant potential for redevelopment, said Mayor Brad Stephens, who envisions a destination for office, an entertainment venue or upscale restaurants.

The village is considering various paths forward, including public-private partnerships or private development. Its broker is Braden Real Estate’s Marc Offit.

The decision to demolish the 1960s building stems from the prohibitive cost of renovating the aging structure. A review by village officials identified inefficiencies in the office floor layouts and a need for substantial upgrades, including new mechanical systems and windows.

The village had offices in the building from the 1970s until this year. It took the property back last year after its previous owner, Northfield-based Saxony Properties, faced difficulties securing tenants and lacked the resources to complete essential renovations.

Crews will remove a 17-foot Tiffany stained glass mosaic of the Rosemont rose logo, prominently displayed above the building’s entrance.

Stephens hopes to relocate the artwork to a high-visibility location such as the convention center, where it can be backlit to “really showcase it and make it a spectacular looking thing.”

Roundy’s Supermarkets’ training office will vacate the building this week, and demolition could begin early next year. Meanwhile, the city departments that once operated from the building have settled into the new village hall at 9501 Technology Boulevard, which was repurposed from a former Cisco Systems office.

— Andrew Terrell