Still a chance for classic arcade in Algonquin
Algonquin officials didn’t budge on their intention to charge licensing fees to a proposed new video game arcade business, but village officials will consider whether they can waive those fees for the rest of the year, officials said.
On Tuesday, business partners Kevin Slota of Chicago and Mark Battaglia of Huntley were granted a special-use permit by the village board for a “No Limit Arcade” with classic video games such as Asteroids and Frogger at 2719 W. Algonquin Road in the Winding Creek shopping center.
Customers would pay a $15 admission fee to play unlimited games, instead of the traditional “pay-as-you-go” method.
Slota and Battaglia had asked the board to waive the yearly $120 licensing fee per video game, which would amount to $7,200 to $9,600 for 60 to 80 video games. The board’s only concession was to charge a bulk amount of licensing fees for the year, rather than impose a fee each time a machine is substituted.
Slota said that after the board’s vote he asked the village staff if the fees for the second half of 2011 could be waived. The partners could pay the 2012 fee in full immediately, he added.
Algonquin management assistant Mike Kumbera said the staff will evaluate whether the village code allows waiving those fees, and then make a decision.
In the meantime, Slota said he received a call from a Crystal Lake village official who offered to look for a space for their business. The partners also are looking at potential locations in Lake in the Hills, where video game licensing fees are only $30.