Wonder Lake to dedicate new municipal center

Wonder Lake's new 6,000 sq. ft. Municipal Building, about a mile north of the village's aging former Village Hall, houses the Wonder Lake Police, a village board meeting room and several other village offices. (Valerie Tobias photo)

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WONDER LAKE — In the late 1970s, Wonder Lake officials built what they thought would be a temporary village hall out of mobile buildings. Now, more than 30 years later, they finally will get a permanent facility.

Village officials will dedicate a new $1.5 million municipal center tonight at 4444 Thompson Road, Wonder Lake. The nearly 6,000-square-foot facility not only will serve as a regular village hall, with room for city offices and village board meetings, but also as a police station, Wonder Lake Public Works Director Steve Weir said.

The building, with its tan bricks and fresh construction smell, has a decidedly more modern feel than the old village hall, made up of blue mobile buildings and a garage.

“Our objective here was to present a more professional image,” Weir said.

The new facility also includes a nod to environmental concerns. Two of the most notable features are the automatic lights for the halls and bathrooms and construction materials made primarily from renewable resources, Weir said.

“To go green is obviously very expensive, but we realize it’s important,” he said.

Construction took about six months, but the entire project took about two years from start to finish, Weir said. He added that he’s happy the new facility finally would be open for use.

“The old site outlived its purpose by about 10 years,” he said.

The new building also has room for the village to grow. It’s designed so that it eventually could be solely a police station, Weir said.

The project primarily was funded with loans taken out in anticipation of impact fees, said Village President Tony Topf.

The old village hall now will continue to house public works and parks departments, and eventually could be used by Wonder Lake subdivision officials for meetings, Topf said.

If you go:

What: Dedication ceremony for the new Wonder Lake Municipal Center

When: 6:45 p.m. tonight

Where: 4444 Thompson Road, Wonder Lake