advertisement

Lake in the Hills hires economic development coordinator

Lake in the Hills has hired a new economic development coordinator whose primary role is retail business recruitment and retention and marketing the town to developers.

"Overall, the economy is getting better," said Cary businessman George Hahne, who was tapped for the job. "There are a lot of people out there that put expansion plans on hold and now are looking for towns like Lake in the Hills. Obviously, there is a good population base, but then there's also the opportunity for this community to grow because of all the open space."

Hahne replaces Gino DeVivo, the village's first economic development coordinator who resigned the part-time post in April after three years. DeVivo now is an economic development consultant for Round Lake.

Hahne will be responsible for recruiting sales tax generating retailers and industrial/manufacturing companies, helping businesses relocate into town or existing businesses expand, and filling larger vacancies, such as the vacant Dominick's off Randall Road.

The village has a lot going for it with good road networks and attractive demographics, he said.

"It's suburban, and yet it's got kind of a semirural feel to it," Hahne said. "It's a nice place to live."

Hahne has owned Marketplace Media Group, a full-service advertising agency in Elgin, for 21 years. He has worked with the city of Elgin, Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce, and served on the board of the Downtown Neighborhood Association of Elgin and as head of its economic development committee for five years. He previously was marketing director for Tri-Land Properties, a Westmont-based company that bought distressed commercial retail real estate.

Lake in the Hills has a number of commercial corridors - Algonquin and Pyott roads, Randall Road north of Algonquin Road, areas along Rakow Road north of Lake in the Hills Airport, Lakewood and Algonquin roads, and sectors along Routes 31 and 47 - with existing spaces requiring retrofitting.

"The initial thing is learning more about the village's particular sites, making contact with some of the main commercial brokers and developers in the area and getting updated information on their sites," said Dan Olson, village community development director.

Of top priority is the vacant Dominick's property, at the northeast side of Randall and Algonquin roads in the Center at Lake in the Hills shopping center. Efforts to recruit retailers for or redevelop the site have been unsuccessful. The property is privately owned. A retailer was eyeing the site last year but backed out of the deal citing the potential impact of proposed road improvements at a nearby intersection.

Last fall, the village conducted a hospitality study that prompted a developer to propose a hotel along Randall Road. The village's planning and zoning commission this spring reviewed a conceptual plan for an 80- to 85-room, four-story hotel proposed for five acres north of the former Dominick's site. That plan also calls for a 10,000-square-foot building next to the hotel, which could be developed into a banquet facility. A portion of the site is being developed as three 5,000-square-foot medical office buildings with a commercial component.

Similarly, Hahne now will be pushing a recently completed market study on the need for auto dealerships and commercial retail along the Route 31 corridor to property owners and interested developers. The study identifies three potential sites for development along Route 31 and Rakow Road, near an existing Toyota dealership.

"We will have that (study) up on the website pretty soon," Olson said. "That recommends what retail/commercial categories would work out there."

George Hahne
  A view of Route 31 in Lake in the Hills, bordering Crystal Lake. The village just completed market study on the need for auto dealerships and commercial retail along the Route 31 corridor. The study identifies three potential sites for development along Route 31 and Rakow Road, near an existing Toyota dealership. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.