PEORIA (25News Now) – Six months after a burst water pipe forced the closure of Riverview Plaza in downtown Peoria, plans to repair the building are finally being discussed.
Peoria County court records show that the mall’s owner, MJ Illinois LLC, has received 18 fire code violations from the city of Peoria for failing to properly maintain fire suppression and alarm systems.
Due to the closure of the building, ten business owners were forced to move out.
However, Junghoon Kim, owner and CEO of MJ Illinois LLC, may not have to pay the fines for the violations after all.
“The building owner has made a settlement offer to the city,” said City Manager Patrick Urich. “We are reviewing the proposal to ensure that any compromise meets safety standards and the building can be returned to productive use.”
During a hearing before a single judge on Thursday, the city and MJ Illinois LLC reached a verbal agreement that the city would suspend fines and fees under certain conditions. For the agreement to be honored, the building owner must keep its promise to complete repairs in the next one to two months.
Tom Leiter, attorney for MJ Illinois LLC, said the firm is putting together a repair plan to present to the city, where a contract can be signed to avoid fines and fees.
25News asked the lawyer why the repairs took so long.
Leiter said Kim had to wait for the insurance company to pay the compensation before he could begin repairs, adding that the compensation money had recently been paid out.
“The elevator repairs have already been completed so they are fully functional. They still need to be connected to the alarm system,” Leiter said. “But the security issues need to be resolved before the building can be occupied.”
Some repairs have already been made to the parking deck, but according to the manager, more repairs are still needed.
The two parties will continue the individual negotiations in September. MJ Illinois LLC will then provide an update on the status of the repairs.
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