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Fox River Grove is seeking court approval to demolish a long-abandoned apartment complex as lawsuits among contractors and the developer continue.
Contractors began building the 100-unit complex at 401 Algonquin Road in 2019, but the project has been stalled since 2022 over lawsuits that claim contractors are owed millions of dollars by the developer. Almost a dozen companies are suing The Grove Residences LLC and Branko Tupanjac of Lake Forest, who is identified as its manager, in a lawsuit filed in 2022 in McHenry County court.
The village of Fox River Grove filed a motion in McHenry County court in recent days to demolish the “incomplete shell” and remove construction material and debris from the site, according to court documents.
The attorney representing the village, Everette Hill Jr., asked the court to grant approval of the demolition, to issue expenses to property owner and award the village other costs related to the demolition, including attorneys' fees. In the court filing, Hill described the partially built structure on the site as “dangerous” and a “nuisance.”
The village formally asked that either owners demolish the building within 15 days or that village officials be allowed to “seek an immediate [court] order” to have the structure dismantled themselves and make a claim for the demolition expenses.
The village has been trying to seize control of the property, filing for eminent domain in the courts in February over assertions that the area is blighted. An offer to purchase the property for more than $183,000 in January was unsuccessful, according to court documents.
In November, the court allowed the village to put up a fence around the property, and it was installed Nov. 20, Fox River Grove Village Administrator Derek Soderholm said.
The project had received criticism from neighbors over concerns about privacy and an influx of new residents, as well as questions from the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District, which asked in an unusual move to review safety codes and planning documents for the new building.