Summary
Repairs to the Building A elevator at the Government Center are currently in progress. As of this week, the project is in week 3 of an estimated 12-week repair timeline.
Work continues in coordination with our contractor, Urban Elevator Services. Fabrication of the hydraulic cylinder and its installation remain on schedule, and an expedited fabrication request has been submitted. The estimated completion date is June 11, 2026.
Access to Services During Repairs
To minimize disruption:
- Public meetings are being held in the Auditorium on the ground floor of Building A.
- Staff are assisting visitors in accessing services from the ground floor whenever possible.
- Additional accommodations and workspace are being arranged to expand ground-floor service availability.
Tax Collection Services (Beginning May)
In preparation for the upcoming tax collection period, plans are underway to provide:
- Ground-floor access for tax payments and inquiries
- On-site support in coordination with the Treasurer's Office
We appreciate the continued efforts of our front-line staff who are assisting visitors during this time.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we complete these important repairs.
Special Message from Roger Fahnestock
Elevator Update – Building A Elevator Repairs 4-8-2026
As of this week, we are in the third week of the estimated twelve week repair process for the elevator in Building A at the Government Center. We have been in contact with the contractor, Urban Elevator Services, and the schedule has not changed. The fabrication of the hydraulic cylinder and installation are on schedule. We did request the expedited fabrication of the hydraulic cylinder. The project is scheduled to be completed by June 11th (12 weeks). We will provide more updates as the work progresses.
We continue to work with the County Board Office to host meetings in the Auditorium, ground floor of Building A. We are also working with the offices and departments to help the visiting public access the services that are needed.
Please thank Mike and Brenda who are on the front lines trying to assist people on the ground floor.
We are working on plans for the tax collection process that will begin in May. In the coming weeks we will be working with the Treasurer to have a presence on the ground floor of Building A for accessible tax payments and tax questions. We are also working on some additional office space and accommodations to make more room on the ground floor of Building A to accommodate more public facing services.
Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we navigate this issue.
If you have specific needs or recommendations please contact the Building Management Department at 630-444-3400 or IT Department at 630-208-3800.
Thank you,
Roger
Overview
The Building Management Department was performing the preventative maintenance and testing of the elevator in the Government Center Building A on March 17th. During the testing of the elevator, the hydraulic cylinder that lifts the elevator failed. The hydraulic cylinder testing and load testing is a regular part of elevator maintenance and is designed to determine the elevator is in good repair and working properly. The elevator maintenance is under contract with Urban Elevator Service out of Cicero, Illinois. Upon failure, the decision to shut down the elevator was made and plans to repair the elevator were initiated. Urban Elevator Services provided a proposal to repair the elevator on March 18th and the proposal in the amount of $89,921.00 was approved by emergency purchase affidavit on March 18th. The purchase of the parts and services with Urban Elevator Services will be ratified by the County Board.
The new hydraulic cylinder requires fabrication as the part is not readily available from a supplier. We requested expedited fabrication for the cylinder and parts which shortened the lead time for the parts down from 8 to 10 weeks to 4 to 6 weeks. Once the cylinder and parts are available there will be a period of preparation, demolition, and construction while the work is being executed. The estimated time for the repairs once the parts and preparation is completed the construction will take approximately two weeks. The work will begin as soon as the parts are on site. We have considered doing some of the preparation and demolition prior to the parts arrive, but most of the work will not begin until all parts are on site and available.
The overall project is expected to take 12 weeks including the fabrication, preparation of the site, construction, and testing. The work should be completed by June 11th based on the estimated 12 weeks duration. This is a realistic estimate of the repair time, but we have been cautioned that there may be need to repair the concrete and sleeve in the elevator pit or at the base of the elevator when construction begins. This could add 2 to 4 weeks to the timeline. We won't know the extent of the damage to the pit and sleeve until the construction begins. We believe 12 weeks is a good estimate at this point.
Accommodations
Since the elevator shut down began on March 17th the Building Management Department, IT Department, County Board Office, Elected Offices, and Departments have been organizing efforts to hold committee and board meetings in the first floor auditorium to accommodate accessibility. Secondarily, we have been assessing and making accommodations to provide office space on the first floor to accommodate offices, departments, staff and the public. We have staff on the first floor assisting the public to access offices via the stairs or notifying offices and departments of visitors that need services on the first floor. The offices and departments have been very helpful in working with visitors that are unable to navigate the stairs.
The next phase of our management plan is to continue providing accommodations for offices, Departments, staff and the public during the elevator outage and repairs.
We are working on accommodations for the upcoming County Executive Committee meeting and full County Board meeting where attendance and participation is generally greater. For now, the meetings will be held in the first floor auditorium in Building A.
We are also working with the Treasurer's Office on plans to accommodate taxpayers and collection of property taxes. The tax bills are generally mailed out at the end of April and received by taxpayers on or around May 1st with a due date on or around June 1st. The month of May is a busy time for the Treasurer as taxpayers visit the office for tax related information and payment. We will be prepared to accommodate taxpayers that need accommodations and an accessible location on the first floor to pay taxes or receive services from the Treasurer's Office.
The planning and accommodations are ongoing. Please discuss this with your team and staff as necessary.
If you have specific needs or recommendations please contact the Building Management Department at 630-444-3400 or IT Department at 630-208-3800.
Thank you for your patience as we work through the elevator repairs in Building A.
Thank you, Roger
