Save The Carillon: Residents Urge Naperville Riverwalk Commission to Repair Moser Tower

NAPERVILLE, IL — Despite the need for repairs that could cost up to $3.8 million, residents who attended a July 12 meeting of the Naperville Riverwalk Commission urged the board to save Moser Tower — which houses the Millennium Carillon — instead of tearing it down. Last month, officials said the 160-foot tower is in need of costly repairs thanks to corrosion. Completed in 2007, the tower is home to the fourth-largest carillon in North America.

An assessment of Moser tower released June 1 found that the structure's "steel is beginning to corrode, its precast concrete is cracking and the concrete's mortar joints are facing deterioration." The report said changing temperatures caused the steel to expand and contract, causing cracks that should be repaired within the next several years. The assessment said it would cost about $660,000 to tear it down, and $1.6 million to $3.8 million to repair it.

At a Wednesday morning meeting, more than a dozen made their pleas asking the commission to repair and preserve Moser Tower, according to the Chicago Tribune. One attendee, carillon volunteer and fundraiser Frank Slocumb, said the Millennium Carillon is a Naperville "focal point."

"It appears on numerous marketing and advertising pieces for the city, and it is a focal point for local and national TV coverage," he said. "No other Naperville amenity receives this type of attention."

The riverwalk commission will make a recommendation on the tower's fate to the city council, and a final decision could be made by September or October, according to the Tribune.

According to the Millennium Carillon Foundation, the carillon has 72 bells and spans six octaves. Efforts to build the tower and carillon spanned nearly a decade.

"Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon was begun in 1998 as a labor of love by a small group of Naperville families, and in a short time the vision spread to many, who donated the funds to make the vision a reality," according to the foundation's website. "In the tradition of Centennial Beach and the Riverwalk, the Millennium Carillon is a gift from the people of our community for all future generations to enjoy."