Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon

The Moser Tower (commonly also referred to as "Bell Tower") is a structure built in Naperville, Illinois, United States. It was built in 1999 to commemorate the third millennium and 21st century.[1] [2] It is 160 ft tall and has 72 carillon bells.[3] The carillon structure is said to be one of the four largest in the United States.[4]

Moser Tower
General information
Address443 Aurora Ave, Naperville, IL 60540
Town or cityNaperville, Illinois
CountryUnited States
Coordinates41°46′12″N 88°09′24″W
Construction started1997
Construction stopped1999, 2007
Topped-out1999
OpenedJune 2000
Cost$7.1 million
OwnerCity of Naperville
Height160 ft
Technical details
MaterialConcrete
Lifts/elevators1 (installed in 2007)
Website
http://www.naperville-carillon.org/

History

A former fundraiser called the Millennium Carillon began fundraising and later started construction in 1997. The entire project cost about $7.1 million, which was triple the amount that was collected and proposed. Construction was finished in 1999. However in order to open in year 2000, they decided not to surround the bottom in glass and not to install an elevator.[5]

In 2007, the city of Naperville took over maintenance of the structure and also added unfinished parts, including installing an elevator. The fundraiser became defunct, however the debts and costs to complete the structure were estimated at $5 million.[6]

In June 2017, possible structural issues were found. It was found that the structure may become unsafe in the future.[7]

Structural issues

Structural issues were found in June 2017. Cracks in the concrete were found, and the steel support began corroding. It was at first proposed to last at least 100 years, however it was not expected that the concrete could not hold up well and that the steel support would corrode.[8] After conducting tests and inspection at the cost of $50,000, an estimated $3 million is required to repair the structure [9], or $660 thousand to demolish it.[10]

In April 2018, it remained unknown whether the structure will be demolished or repaired. Costs for repair are high; however many argue that costs to build the structure were higher, and the structure is considered iconic for the city of Naperville.[11] In February 2020, it was decided through a unanimous decision to repair and continue maintaining the tower for $1.5 million.[12]

References
  1. "Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower & Visitor Center". Naperville Park District. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  2. Hegarty, Erin. "Moser Tower repairs could cost as much as $3.8M". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  3. "Visit The Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon". Friends of Naperville's Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  4. Wilson, Marie. "News updated: 7/12/2017 6:24 AM Could Naperville demolish Moser Tower, Millennium Carillon?". Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  5. Wilson, Marie. "News updated: 7/12/2017 6:24 AM Could Naperville demolish Moser Tower, Millennium Carillon?". Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  6. Wilson, Marie. "News updated: 7/12/2017 6:24 AM Could Naperville demolish Moser Tower, Millennium Carillon?". Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  7. Wilson, Marie. "Will Naperville Riverwalk carillon tower have to come down?". Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  8. Wilson, Marie. "News updated: 7/12/2017 6:24 AM Could Naperville demolish Moser Tower, Millennium Carillon?". Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  9. Wilson, Marie. "Engineers: More tests needed to determine fixes for Naperville bell tower". Daily Herald.
  10. Wilson, Marie. "Will Naperville Riverwalk carillon tower have to come down?". Daily Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  11. Thanikachalam, Neya. "City of Naperville considers fate of Moser Tower". Central Times. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  12. Wilson, Marie (13 February 2020). "Commission: Naperville bell tower worth $1.5 million to save". Daily Herald.
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