Wrong bricks cost builder big bucks: Oak Park fines condo developer $188,223

It was mostly about the bricks, village officials said Tuesday inexplaining why they fined an architect and developer a whopping$188,223 over the condo they're building in downtown Oak Park.

Architect John Schiess and developer Alex Troyanofsky pulled adouble switch in using a type of brick that doesn't "fit . . . in tothe neighborhood," village planner Craig Failor said.

"Modular brick is used historically in the area, while they used alarger, utility brick," he said. "It just gives it a different look."

The architect-developer team got approval from the plan commissionand village board to use the modular style -- 2OE inches high and 8inches long -- for their six-story Opera Club building going up atSouth Boulevard and Marion Street in the west suburb.

At the building permit stage, the team changed to Norman brick,which Failor said is 2OE by 12 inches. And when the bricks appearedon one facade of the building, they were utility bricks -- 4 inchesby 12 inches.

'WANTED TO SEND A MESSAGE'

Schiess countered that he considers the bricks to be "4-inchNorman bricks." He said he told the building department about bothchanges. "Next time, we'll [also] inform the planning department andthe plan commission," he said. "And we'll get it in writing what thedepartments approve."

How does he feel about forking over $188,223? "The size of thefine is the size of the fine," said Schiess. "The village certainlywanted to send a message."

At 75oe feet, the Opera Club also is 5oe feet taller than agreedto.

"But the height came in toward the end" of village boarddiscussions at a meeting last week, Failor said. The board wasalready calculating the fine, which was based on a dozen changes,including the brick switch, "before they knew height was [an] issue."

Schiess said he discovered the building had to be higher -- morespace was needed between floors -- after the plan commission approvalbut before the building department was notified and issued thenecessary permit.

gwisby@suntimes.com