Nursing school may open in Hoffman Estates

It's been years since Sears Holding Corp. has used the helipad at its Hoffman Estates headquarters.

Now a private nursing school has approached Sears officials about purchasing part of that land - a 3-acre plot inside the Prairie Stone Business Park along Trillium Boulevard.

Assistant Village Manager Mark Koplin said the school could open in 2011 and, though a site plan has yet to be submitted, the school likely would be housed in a new, single-story building off Beverly Road.

Sears needed the village to approve plans to break off 3 acres from its 125-acre parcel. Smaller lots may make the area more attractive to developers as the spacious - and mostly vacant - business park continues to find its identity, with a mix of business and retail including the Sears Centre and a planned off-track betting parlor inside a restaurant.

Village officials had nothing new to report on the OTB, called the Saddle Room. When village officials approved the OTB in August, restaurant owners said the establishment would be serving food and drinks by February and be ready for bettors by March.

However, the bad economy has put the project on hold for now.

It's another reason village officials are hesitant to go public with plans proposed by developers - including plans regarding the nursing school.

"It will get more interesting when they bring in a site plan," Koplin said.

Village officials hope they can attract more development by attending the International Council of Shopping Centers' annual real estate convention later this month in Las Vegas.

Each year, Hoffman Estates board members and staff members meet with developers and representatives from retailers and restaurants in Las Vegas, trying to persuade them to bring their business to the village. Neighboring towns also send representatives to the convention.

While in recent months more developers have been bringing plans to the village, any progress made at this year's convention won't be seen immediately. Village officials continue to search for more restaurants and grocery and hardware stores.

The village approved plans for Sears' helipad in 1991, but the last helicopter to land at the site was about eight years ago, Village Manager James Norris said. Once the Sears sells the land, the new owner would be prohibited from using the strip as a helipad because the special-use permit the village granted in 1991 is nontransferable.