Live entertainment venue proposed for downtown Algonquin

A new live entertainment venue could be coming to Algonquin’s downtown — a business that neighboring property owners said could transform the area into a “destination place.”

Petitioner David Conklin envisions turning the building at 113 S. Main St., in the historic old town district, into a live entertainment destination with an attached bar and restaurant named Soundbite Tavern.

Live acts could include bands, DJs, comedians, magicians and afternoon performances geared toward children. Conklin also would like to host open-mic nights, trivia and karaoke. The building also features a private dining space and a podcast booth.

Conklin, who is a drummer and an Algonquin resident, said it’s always been his dream to open this type of business, and he sees this as an opportunity to fill “that one extra piece” in downtown Algonquin.

The Algonquin Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday unanimously recommended approval of the request for an entertainment facility special-use permit. A tentative date for a final vote from the village board is set for Oct. 4, Conklin said.

He is hopeful an opening date would be sometime between midfall and early winter.

Conklin said he plans for the restaurant portion of Soundbite to feature a pub-style, “cost-conscious” menu with finger foods and appetizers.

The business model is not necessarily focused on food, but proprietors want an option for people to grab quick bites, architect Nicole Horn said.

“I think it’s a nice symbiotic relationship that they can have with the existing restaurants downtown,” Horn said.

Previously, the building housed a billiards hall and multiple restaurants throughout the years, Village Planner Stephanie Barajas said.

The building has a total capacity of 200 people.

Conklin plans to keep the historic structure but change the color scheme to navy and sky blue.

If any significant changes were to be made, it would have to go before the historic commission board for approval, Barajas said.

Village staff recommended performances end at 10 p.m. on weekdays and 10:30 p.m. on weekends. But commissioners agreed to recommend an extension of the hours to 11:30 p.m. on Thursdays, midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday. Staff also set multiple conditions, including having a crowd management plan, private security for each performance and security cameras.

Soundproofing the building also is listed as a condition through the village code does not set a specific decibel level.

Conklin said he plans to have a sound system that distributes sound throughout the building so it doesn’t necessarily have to be loud for the whole audience to hear.

A few nearby business and property owners spoke at the meeting in favor of the new venue. Real estate broker and property owner Tony Bellino said he has been wanting to see a venue of this type to “feed the restaurants” that line Main Street.

Restaurateur Greg Geigel, who owns multiple businesses in downtown Algonquin, including Bold American Fare, pointed to how The Vixen changed downtown McHenry for the better, as it keeps people in town.

“This is exactly what we need downtown,” he said. “This has the potential to change the entire dynamics of downtown.”

But Geigel shared concerns with the village’s lack of parking downtown, noting that the venue could accentuate the problem. With public lots and street parking, there are about 400 spaces in the downtown area, Geigel said.

“Algonquin is in a unique situation,” he said. “How can the village change to adapt to make something like this work? Because this can rock the whole town. This can make the whole town a destination place where there’s people walking around.”