2 Buildings Collapse In Elgin; Likely Caused By Heavy Snow, Ice

ELGIN, IL — Elgin was hit again by a heavy snowstorm over the weekend, with about 5 inches of snow blanketing the city by Tuesday morning.

That heavy snowfall, the second in the area in just over two weeks, was more than two Elgin buildings could withstand, the Daily Herald reports.

Imago Events’ building on Prairie Street collapsed Monday, with fire officials saying they believe the collapse was caused by snow and “ice loads” on the building, the report states.

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Elgin Fire Chief Rob Cagann called it a “complete loss” with at least 85 percent of the building knocked down, according to the report. No one was injured.

In a Facebook post, Imago Events owners Mark and Aimee Novelli said the collapse was a “devastating loss” and asked for patience from clients as they try to relocate scheduled events.

“Our hope and plans are to reopen, but we have lots of details to navigate,” they wrote. “Serving our clients remains our highest priority.”

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The Imago Events collapse came two days after a vacant building fell in the 300 block of Brook Street. Both building collapses were initially reported as explosions, but fire officials said they found no evidence at either site.

The building collapse Saturday is estimated to have caused more than $600,000 in damage. City officials are contacting owners of other buildings similar to the two that collapsed about potential risks from heavy snow and ice, Cagann said.

Residents should not go onto roofs to clear them, officials said.

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