The Sears Centre is a valuable asset

The other day, as he talked about the likelihood of the village of Hoffman Estates taking ownership of the Sears Centre, Village President William McLeod clearly appeared to be in a less than cheerful mood.

This was not a mayor who had been chafing at the bit to seize control of the entertainment arena. His vision for the facility, when it was built, included private ownership that would run it profitably, professionally, smoothly with little need for the village to interfere.

For a variety of reasons, the Sears Centre has not been as successful as initially hoped. Yes, management has made mistakes. And some say its small, independent status brought with it some inherent disadvantages. But those aren't the only reasons the centre has struggled. The competition has fought with fierce tactics. The economic downturn has been brutal. And there's no doubt some truth to the comment by Steve Hyman, the arena's first director, that "bottom line is these buildings aren't often the golden goose they're portrayed to be."

So now, less than three years after it opened, McLeod and Hoffman Estates appear to be faced with an unhappy choice: Buy the arena or watch it close.

He and the village have a lot of company in that regard. A lot of mayors and a lot of municipalities have faced the same choices over the years. Municipal ownership of major entertainment venues is common. Someone who could relate to McLeod's dilemma, we imagine, is Arlene Mulder, village president of Arlington Heights.

Almost six years ago in this same space, we wrote about an almost identical choice facing Arlington Heights less than four years after the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre opened.

At that time, we wrote: "There's more to the evaluation than the bottom line of an Excel spreadsheet. The Metropolis really is a centerpiece of downtown Arlington Heights, a very important part of the area's character. Its closing would be a great loss - a blow to newly found downtown vibrancy, a setback to nearby restaurants and a disappointing subtraction for fans of the performing arts in nearby communities as well. Moreover, there's much to be said about the contribution made by the arts to a community's overall cultural climate and sense of self."

The details vary. But the essence is the same in regards to Hoffman Estates and the Sears Centre.

The arena is not just a local business. It is wrapped around the village's image and identity, one of the things that makes a Hoffman Estates address attractive to people and to businesses. And it is a huge draw to additional development. It helped lure Cabela's to Hoffman Estates and it's a key to luring other projects.

Ultimately, the finances of the thing have to work. The taxpayers must be safeguarded and the village's exploration of a purchase cannot be guided by wishful thinking.

But the Sears Centre is an important asset, for Hoffman Estates and for the suburban community in general. We support a thorough consideration of the purchase possibility.