Buffalo Grove teen club Glow may close

Unless the village of Buffalo Grove relaxes its security requirements, Bill Feldgreber, managing partner of the eSkape family entertainment center, 350 McHenry Road, said the party could be over for the recently opened Glow teen dance club.

The village board on Monday approved an extension of the special use that allows Feldgreber to use a former laser tag area, now known as The Arena, for Friday dance parties catering to 17-to-20-year-olds.

But the village refused to modify its security requirements. And before the teen club, known as Glow, can continue, eSkape must pay the $11,000 it owes the village for both the special police detail required under the special use and the escrow deposit the village requires as part of the special use process.

The extension, which was opposed by Trustees Jeffrey Braiman and Beverly Sussman, lasts through Jan. 3.

In February, the village board, after an extensive debate over whether the club would attract crime and drugs, approved the ordinance that allowed eSkape to hold the dance parties until Sept. 1.

The club held its first dance party for 17-to-20-year-olds on May 21.

Feldgreber, who repeatedly emphasized that he has safely run eSkape - which includes bowling lanes, a restaurant and a bar - for more than seven years, said police have received only one call associated with Glow during its three-month history. That call came when an underage patron tried to enter the club. He said that his competition has increased since the special use was granted, from clubs that stay open later and allow older patrons.

On July 15, Feldgreber met with village staff because he wanted to extend closing time from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., eliminate the requirement for a police presence and extend the age of attendees to 24 years, emphasizing that no alcohol would be served.

Feldgreber, who pays $68 per hour per officer for the two Buffalo Grove officers, said he cannot afford to stay open when security costs absorb more than three-quarters of his gross revenue. And he said he needs longer hours because by 12:30 a.m., the place is empty as teens go to another location open later.

"We have had 12 dance parties over this past three-four months, with over 1,600 teen guests with limited to no issues at all," he said. "For the balance of the year, we would like to manage our club like our competitors are doing, so we may have an equal chance for success."

But both Police Chief Steve Balinski and the trustees wanted to maintain the status quo.

Balinski said he was concerned about mixing the non-drinking age and drinking-age groups.

As for officers coming in later and staying longer, he said, "These police officers have families and they work and they go to court and they spend a lot of time in this village. - It's very difficult for police officers that work multiple jobs, that are raising a family, to come in at hours that might make sense for a vendor but make absolutely no sense from a safety standpoint and from a family life standpoint."

Trustee Jeffrey Braiman said police have been on record saying that it would take at least six months to a year before any real concerns appeared. "I'm not one to believe that because of the three months experience, we should just give you carte blanche."

Braiman also chastised Feldgreber for not paying his bill to the village. "I have never known of any other developer or business who has been allowed to do business without paying the freight upfront. We have given you more benefit than we have given any other business in the village."

Feldgreber said eSkape is making payments.