Hemmens boiler replacements to cost more than $273,000

By Mike Danahey mdanahey@stmedianetwork.com August 14, 2013 11:54PM

The 43-year-old Hemmens Cultural Center in Elgin needs new boilers, which are expected to cost the city $273,000. And the Elgin Symphony Orchestra owes the city more than $300,000 in back rent for use of the facility. | Sun-Times Media File

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Updated: August 15, 2013 6:33PM

ELGIN A city council vote to pay to replace three boilers at the Hemmens Cultural Center led to heated rhetoric about the Elgin Symphony Orchestras lingering debt to the city.

The council Wednesday night unanimously approved a contract with F.H. Paschen for the new boilers in the amount of $273,232. According to supporting material for the meeting, earlier this summer staff found the that one of three 18-year-old boilers had failed beyond repair and the other two were in poor condition.

This is a distasteful bid that I have to support, Councilman John Prigge said.

Prigge said the bill for the replacement boilers should be sent to the ESO. He noted that the money being used is coming from the parks and recreation budget and that it could go to other worthy projects.

I hate being forced to play into this insanity, and I hate myself for supporting this, Prigge said.

The symphony owes the city more than $300,000 in back rent for its use of the 44-year-old Hemmens. The ESOs finances and financial arrangement with the city have been discussed at past council sessions dating back to January and are set to be brought up again either in two weeks or at the first council meeting in September.

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Hemmens boiler replacements to cost more than $273,000