Lake Barrington village hall reopens after renovations
Closed for renovations since January, Lake Barrington’s village hall finally has reopened to the public.
Construction work was needed at the hall, 23860 N. Old Barrington Road, because of an August sewer system backup that damaged parts of the building. In addition to installing an overhead sewer system and remodeling areas damaged by the wastewater, crews also updated some elements of the 31-year-old structure. The public restrooms, boardroom and community room were among the areas that got upgrades.
“All our Village of Lake Barrington staff is thrilled to be back working at our Village Hall, and we are even more excited to welcome visitors to our renovated space,” Mayor-elect Andy Burke said in a news release. “We look forward to continuing to serve our residents and local business owners from our newly modernized facility for years to come.”
The work, which concluded in late March, cost about $190,000. Half the cost was covered by insurance and half was covered by cash from the village’s reserves, officials said.
All village hall staffers worked remotely during the construction using equipment purchased during the COVID-19 pandemic to stay connected, Village Administrator Sharon L. Peterson said.
Village board and committee meetings were held at nearby Barrington’s village hall during construction.
Anyone calling village hall over the last three months wouldn’t have noticed anything amiss; the phone system is cloud-based, and all employees were able to use cellphone apps to field phone calls as if they were at the hall, Peterson said.
Village officials met with residents in person off-site as needed, she said.
“The only regular in-person transaction that occurs is purchasing yard waste stickers,” Peterson said. “However, during the winter months, yard waste stickers are typically not sold.”
Village hall is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or questions about a village issue, call (847) 381-6010 or email lakebarrington@lakebarrington.org.