Hoffman Estates considers future of station site

As construction of the new Hoffman Estates police station nears completion, village officials are considering if they should sell or lease the existing station.

The appraised value of the 5.85-acre site at Gannon Drive and Golf Road, including cost of demolition, is $3 million. The village has fielded inquiries from a number of auto dealerships about the availability of the parcel, which officials deem as ideal for commercial development.

The board on Monday voted 5 to 2 for the staff to prepare a request for proposal to measure how much interest there is to redevelop the property. The village would not be obligated to accept any of the bids received. Trustees Cary Collins and Gary Pilafas voted against the measure.

Pilafas said that it's a buyer's market, and he didn't like the current real estate market. The village could get more money once the market improves.

"I think it would be better if we waited six months," Pilafas said.

Under state law, the village has limited options for the current station. The village could accept any bid that is at least 80 percent of the appraisal value, which is $2.4 million. The other method is to request bids and have five board members approve the sale. The board could seek addition bids if the first batch isn't acceptable.

With the sagging market, the village could also elect to lease the parcel.

Police are scheduled to move into a new $28 million, 79,200-square-foot station in August on Spring Mill Drive and Higgins Road. Construction started in October 2008 and could be finished in June. The police department moved into the current station in 1971.