Opened in the year 2000, Moser Tower quickly became one of Naperville’s most recognizable symbols.
“As envisioned the tower has become one of the most iconic structures in Naperville,” said Naperville resident Marilyn Schweitzer at the most recent Naperville City Council meeting. “It is the closest thing Naperville has akin to Chicago’s CloudGate, AKA The Bean, in terms of its draw and photogenic qualities.”
Structural Damage Discovered
But a 2015 assessment of the tower found structural damage that needed to be repaired.
After a number of different evaluations were done to find options and costs for Moser Tower, Naperville city staff gave three options for city council to consider – repair the damage, repair the damage and enclose the lower portion of the tower in glass, or regularly assess the tower and disassemble it when it is no longer safe.
Council Makes a Decision
Council unanimously agreed with the Riverwalk Commission’s recommendation to go with option one, repair the damage.
“We’re going to patch the concrete, we’re going to fix the bolted surfaces for corrosion if there is any, and then we’re going to take care of the caulk and post-tension,” said Councilman John Krummen.
City staff estimates that work will cost about $1.5 million in 2021 and an annual maintenance cost of $26,667 for the next 30 years. That brings the project total to about $2.3 million over a 30-year period.
That’s about $700,000 more than the total estimated cost to regularly assess the tower and take down when it’s not structurally safe.
Funding Source for Moser Tower Repairs
A funding source for Moser Tower repairs has yet to be identified, but city documents name the Food and Beverage Fund as a possible source as the carillon is a cultural amenity.
City staff will return with bids to perform the repairs at a future meeting, where council will vote on whether to accept the bid and move forward with repairs.
Naperville News 17’s Casey Krajewski reports.
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