T-Mobile to add to Elgin cell tower

The city of Elgin soon will see at least a little bit of extra revenue — and not from taxes. Council members will discuss preliminary approval of an agreement with T-Mobile that would allow the company to add telecommunications equipment to an existing tower at the Elgin American Little League field at the corner of Summit Street and Hiawatha Drive.

The cellphone company would join Sprint and US Cellular in renting space from Elgin for its equipment in the city-owned park.

According to a memo from corporation counsel William Cogley to council members, rent would be $22,800 for the first year and then 4 percent more for each of the next five years. If T-Mobile wants to continue renting after 2016, the company could renew the five-year agreement up to three times.

The city welcomed SprintCom Inc. in 2002 then US Cellular in 2006.

T-Mobile plans to add three new antennas to the existing cell tower and build an equipment shed next to it.