New Hoffman Estates animal clinic to complement Petco
A new animal hospital is coming to a strip center at the north end of Hoffman Estates this year, where it hopes to prove complementary to an existing Petco pet supply store in an adjacent outlot building.
Hoffman Estates trustees Monday approved the special-use permit for Jacobson Veterinary Clinic to move into two vacant storefronts at 1445 and 1449 Palatine Road in the Charles Plaza Shopping Center.
The new business will lie between Sir Nick's Pizza and Caring Smiles Dental, in the shadow of the Hoffman Estates municipal water tower that stands in the southeast corner of the shopping center.
Directly out the front window is the neighboring Petco, which was rebranded just this weekend after having been open for two years under the Unleashed banner.
News of the veterinary clinic's approval was welcomed Monday by Petco Manager Kevin Moody.
"We're excited," he said. "It's hard being such a small store. Having (a veterinary clinic) so close is going to help traffic flow. We're still all about pet health."
Moody said his store has appealed to health-conscious pet owners by selling grain-free products made in the U.S. and draws its customers primarily from Hoffman Estates and Palatine but also the Barrington area and even Lake Zurich.
Though there may be some slight competitive overlap of services with the new clinic, Moody believes the two businesses will help each other.
"As far as people knowing where we are, it's going to help a lot," he said.
The new animal hospital's permit will allow such related activities as the bathing, grooming and occasional boarding of pets as well as some limited retail sales.
The property owner has agreed to let the new tenant use a large grass area behind the center to take animals for walks and to relieve themselves.
But Jon Jacobson, the clinic owner, promised to take measures in construction and operations to ensure that the pets do not create noise, smell or sanitation problems for neighboring tenants.