Hoffman Estates hopeful talk development

Since the 2008 economic crash, development has snarled in Hoffman Estates.

Village board hopeful Craig Bernacki said it’s time the village stopped blaming the economy and took more responsibility.

He said the entire economic development department should be fired.

“They’ve done nothing, they’ve brought no business to this town,” he said.

The remaining five candidates, for the most part, disagree with Bernacki and note new restaurants near the Sears Centre, among other developments. But they still want to see improvements.

There are six candidates running for the three board seats in the April 5 election. Incumbents Gary Pilafas and Anna Newell have Mayor William McLeod’s support, along with Trustee Gary Stanton whom the board appointed in December after Cary Collins resigned.

Political newcomers Alison Hertz and Robert Weitzel are also running.

Hertz, a west side resident, feels her neighborhood is neglected when it comes to development and she wants to see the board better prepared at meetings. The board members have attended the International Council of Shopping Centers annual conference in Las Vegas for years trying to lure businesses. They’ve been unsuccessful in bring in a west side grocery store.

“It’s the amount of space, because that forest preserve takes up such a big chunk, there’s simply not enough bodies,” she said of the number of people who live on the west side.

Newell agreed with Hertz and said officials have repeatedly looked for a perfect spot for a grocery store.

“I can’t tell you how many times those guys have been out there, and they’ve gone to meetings, they have talked to some really great people to try to bring them out there,” she said.

The use of incentives is a way to bring in business. The village offered tax incentives to Cabela’s to build its store near the Sears Centre, but the store has underperformed and never hit sale tax marks to received the incentives.

“I was just there the other the day; the place was dead,” Stanton said.

Weitzel, in his campaign questionnaire wrote that the village’s reputation needs improvement and that the village fails to make businesses feel welcome. That includes missing opportunities with Meijer, which owns property on Barrington Road.

Pilafas said the village has offered sales tax incentives to Meijer, which continues to hold onto the property. He also mentioned the village giving $2 million in tax-increment financing incentives to the Jewel for improvements on Roselle Road.

“That’s a different kind of incentive that helps a business to retain,” Pilafas said.