Schaumburg considering tax incentive to turn former Title Max building into Masala Pizza

Schaumburg trustees Tuesday will consider recommending a Class 7C tax incentive to help fund the transformation of a former Title Max building into the fourth location of the local Indian restaurant chain Masala Pizza.

In return, prospective owner Jay Patel would invest a minimum of $300,000 into the renovation of the 1,800-square-foot building at 780 W. Golf Road before the end of 2025.

Furthermore, either he or the building’s tenant will support civic agencies serving the village such as the Schaumburg Business Association, Harper College, the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts and Meet Chicago Northwest throughout the five years the tax incentive is in effect.

Masala Pizza is planned to open with eight employees and expand to 10 within three years. The restaurant also has locations at 610 W. Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview and in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and River North neighborhoods.

According to its website, the restaurant creates specialty pizzas with authentic Indian flavors and ingredients. It also offers fries and garlic bread.

The village board’s finance, legal and general government committee last week endorsed the request for the tax incentive, which must get final approval from the Cook County Board.

Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank told the committee the 0.21-acre site at the northeast corner of Golf Road and Salem Drive is a challenging one for customers to access because it’s only accessible from Salem. Title Max moved out in 2020.

The Class 7C tax incentive is one of the tools Cook County offers to keep competitive with the collar counties for redevelopment of industrial buildings. The incentive reduces the level of assessment on a property from 25% to 10% for the first three years, 15% for the fourth year, and 20% for the fifth year before returning to normal.

Failure to meet the requirements of the Class 7C incentive, such as retaining a certain number of employees, could lead to the applicant being required to pay the full tax bill.

Based on discussions with Patel, village officials anticipate site work to begin next month with the aim of completing construction in the fall.