Board Approves Grainery Tower Improvements

The Grainery tower is one of Frankfort's most distinctive landmarks, and thanks to a 10-year lease extension with the current owner, it will be getting a bit of a facelift this spring.

The Village Board unanimously agreed at its Monday board meeting to go ahead with tower renovations that would add stone, siding and accent features. The improvements, which are estimated to cost about $100,000, would be paid with the money earned from leasing the tower to cellphone and telecommunications companies that use it for its equipment.

"I really view Breidert Green as our family room, and we're looking at our neighbor's back door right now," said Trustee Mike Stevens, who serves on the Economic Development Committee, which recommendated the renovations. "By making these significant improvements we're going to improve that view, and I really think it's a good program, and I'm glad to see it go through."

Trustee Cindy Heath, also a member of the Economic Development Committee, added that people in and outside of Frankfort view the Grainery as a symbol what type of community Frankfort is, and it's important to maintain that image.

"A lot of times people ask trustees why are you investing in downtown," she said. "I've been here since 1981, and what people think about Frankfort ... it's the old downtown area that's really an identifier of what Frankfort is and we use it as a showcase. So that's why we need to keep investing so that that stays a showcase for investments in our village."

The new lease extension runs from 2020-30. No date was given on when the renovations would begin.