Hoffman Estates adopts plans guiding village's central, western development
Hoffman Estates village board members Tuesday adopted a pair of consultant-driven plans seeking to create both a more cohesive identity for 950 acres around the Barrington Road and I-90 interchange as well as a general development philosophy for the remaining vacant land among 1,650 acres at the western edge of the village.
As Village Manager Eric Palm described them, the Barrington Road plan is more strategic while the western plan is more "big picture."
Mayor Bill McLeod said what the plans have in common is a desire to apply some order to the individual proposals of various landowners and developers.
"In both cases, there is an interest on the part of the village to encourage development to happen in a particular way."
While the Bell Works Chicagoland redevelopment of the former AT&T campus and a proposal for a Microsoft data center are keeping village planners busy near the Barrington Road interchange, there's a wish to use its recent improvements including a new Pace bus terminal to create transit-oriented development with more residential density in the area.
Possible places this could happen, according to consultants from Chicago-based Farr Associates, include Hassell Road North, the existing Northwest Corporate Centre and Barrington Square Town Center.
In creating a recognizable identity for the area, the existing water tower could be used as a structural canvas to build that brand around, the consultants said.
They also suggested a land swap with the 4.2-acre U-Haul Moving & Storage facility at 2475 Pembroke Ave. could free up some centrally located property for redevelopment, but the village has received correspondence from the business stating its opposition.
The plan for the western part of the village creates the possibility for either of two basic frameworks for the three-mile stretch around the Prairie Stone Business Park just north of I-90 extending past Sutton and Beverly roads.
The first framework focuses on residential growth throughout the area's vacant and underutilized land. The second framework would expand on office and employment uses with the Prairie Stone area and keep any new residential development toward the eastern end of the study area.
While Tuesday's adoption of the basic plan didn't yet require a choice between the two frameworks, McLeod remarked before the meeting that the residential market happens to be hot in the area at the present time.