Hoffman Estates may dub entertainment district "Poplar Creek"

Hoffman Estates officials hope a familiar name from the past helps establish an identity for the area surrounding the Sears Centre and Cabela's.

The village board is leaning toward using the name "Poplar Creek" to rebrand its entertainment district. Mayor William McLeod has repeatedly said the Poplar Creek Music Theater helped define the village, as the outdoor theater drew millions of fans to town before Sears Holdings Corp. elected to demolish the venue after it bought the land in 1995. A final name hasn't been selected yet.

For the past two years, village officials have debated how to properly market the area, having consultants come to village board meetings with names, logos and other ideas. One suggestion was to incorporate location into the name, using "59/90," a reference to Route 59 and Interstate 90, the two major roads adjacent to the area. The area is part of the Prairie Stone Business Park that is adjacent to the Sears corporate headquarters.

The village would put the name on top of a sign to be erected by Cabela's on Hoffman Boulevard near the tollway. Cabela's supports the village's rebranding efforts, said company spokesman John Castillo.

"Signage to increase Prairie Stone's visibility will be a benefit to every business in the area," he said.

The village helped build Cabela's by giving the outdoors store chain a sales-tax rebate, while a $55 million village-backed bond issue aided the Sears Centre construction. There are also plans for a restaurant and off-track betting parlor in the area.

The entertainment district was to be the crown jewel of the village, but plans for a water park and hotel, as well as an outdoor music amphitheater have stalled. Village officials acknowledge the economy has stymied development.

Northwestern University Associate Professor of Marketing Tim Calkins said establishing a name people can identify with is incredibly important to consumers, who need to "wrap their arms around" the label. He said any rebranding will take time and be difficult.

"The challenge with Poplar Creek is some people know that brand, but they know it in a very different context," he said. "Changing how people think of Poplar Creek is a big task."

Caulkins also said having a logo and a name is just the beginning of the process and village officials should remain diligent in their efforts.

"Picking names is a very difficult thing to do because all the best ones are gone," he said.

McLeod agreed, but pointed out that the Poplar Creek name continues to be used locally in a variety of ways, including by the Poplar Creek Public Library District.

"I don't think picking a name is suddenly going to make everything be wonderful," he said.