Buffalo Grove hopes to solve economic development puzzle

Economic development has been an impossible to solve Rubik's Cube for Buffalo Grove for several years.

No matter which way the village turns the cube, it never finds the right combination.

At a recent meeting, village trustees discussed ways they could change that.

Village President Jeffrey Braiman already has appointed trustees Jeffrey Berman and Steven Trilling, with Trustee Michael Terson as an alternate, to work with village staff on the development of a formal economic development action plan.

The village does not have such a plan currently, nor does it have a staff member dedicated to economic development.

"Currently we're much more reactive in our approach to economic development," Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas said. "If we have someone coming in that wants to do development in the village, we respond to their request, we meet with them, we follow up with them, we try to help them with sites as much as we can."

Maltas suggested more aggressive approaches that could include hiring someone to lead economic development efforts, targeting specific retailers and developers for recruitment, creating marketing materials, and pursuing a plan for major corridors. It could also mean offering economic incentives, establishing a tax increment financing district or purchasing sites for redevelopment.

"I found it very difficult to believe that we are not proactive to begin with, that we don't go after and try and find businesses in the first place," Trustee Beverly Sussman said.

Village Manager Dane Bragg said that the village has not been as proactive as it might, pointing out that when it comes to certain development corridors it has not been very good about having regulations and incentives in place in preparation for proposals.

Trustee Lester Ottenheimer III said he has always been told that Buffalo Grove is caught between retail development in Vernon Hills, Northbrook and Schaumburg and along Rand Road.

"While that may be true, I don't think we have to live with that policy," he said.

Trustee Michael Terson said the discussion was putting the cart a little before the horse.

"I'm of the opinion that if we develop a downtown, if we create that central business district, that these corridors that we're referring to will become more attractive" and easier to redevelop, he said.

However, Braiman said it is important to have a plan beyond waiting for a downtown.

"Even if we approve (a downtown proposal) next week, that's not going to happen for years," he said. "We need some planning for now."