Kenosha---The cynics may be proven wrong after all. Following a narrow escape from the wrecking ball a few years ago, it appears more and more likely that the former Elk’s Club building will be salvaged and turned into a boutique hotel.
The top architect at Gorman & Company presented revised design plans to a pair of city commissions Thursday night. Both panels signed off after expressing great enthusiasm.
The only naysayer was Plan Commission Member Anita Faraone who has consistently voted against the project. "I still maintain that building is not worth saving," she said before the vote.
The Gorman architect, Ben Marshall, said the construction project, which includes a new wing on the historic downtown building, will begin by the first of July and be completed within 18 months.
Historic Preservation Commission Chairman Jan Michalski noted that a lot of Kenosha area residents have strong emotional ties to the building. "A lot of people have had their wedding reception and lots of parties at the old Elk's Club and they remember it with a great deal of affection," he said.
Plan Commission member Lydia Spottswood was near tears when she recounted how the Historic Preservation Commission, a panel which she helped create a number of years ago, was instrumental in blocking demolition of the building, giving Gorman time to enter the picture.
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