Buffalo Grove chooses potential site for new village hall, police headquarters

Buffalo Grove has landed on a potential location for a new village hall and police station that could serve the village’s needs for the next half century.

The village board will hold a special meeting Tuesday to discuss entering into an agreement with Hamilton Partners to buy the property at 1100 Lake-Cook Road for $6.25 million.

The property currently contains a 96,731-square-foot office building that is part of a larger business park on a 8.3-acre site. Village Manager Dane Bragg said options could include reusing or demolishing the existing structure. Construction is expected to begin in 2028.

Deputy Village Manager Chris Stilling said Hamilton constructed the building for FedEx in the 1980s. Its square footage is considerably larger than the 60,000 square feet comprising the village hall and police station locations on Raupp Boulevard.

Officials said the new site addresses long-standing challenges with the aging village hall and police department buildings, originally built in 1970 and 1988, respectively, with no major additions since the 1990s.

If approved, the purchase and sale agreement calls for a 90-day due diligence period before the village proceeds to closing. Due diligence would include building and structural assessments, environmental testing, soil borings, mechanical and electrical evaluations and preliminary architectural space planning.

“Entering this due diligence period represents the first step toward solving the final piece of our facilities puzzle,” said Village President Eric Smith. “If the site proves suitable, this has the potential to serve as a modern, efficient and permanent home for generations to come.”

After due diligence, the village board has 45 days (or until its next regular meeting) to authorize closing, which could occur by March.

The new site would represent the culmination of a series of public building improvements for the village. A new public works facility at 1650 Leider Lane opened last year. The village also anticipates opening a remodeled fire station on Dundee Road next year, and another renovated station on Highland Grove Drive in 2027.

A 2017 space needs study, updated in 2025, identified village hall and police headquarters as the remaining major facility challenges. Both buildings lack adequate space for training and meetings.

“We have really looked at trying to combine police and village hall into one central facility for a number of reasons,” Bragg said.

With the police station, there also is a security concern since visitors have to pass through secure areas to access the main community room. Also the village hall’s layout is problematic. The permitting, clerical and administrative functions for community development are on the first floor, while the inspection and plan review services are in the basement, Bragg said.

“You have inspectors and clerks going up and down stairs all day long, with plans and permit documents and files,” Bragg said.

Deputy Village Manager Michael Skibbe said there are ongoing deferred maintenance issues with the village hall, including roof and mechanical work.

Hamilton Partners contacted the village in December 2022. The largest private landowner in the village, it was looking for options for the business park on Lake-Cook Road.

“I think Hamilton also recognizes that we are going to breathe a lot of investment and life into that park,” Bragg said. “The village board has felt very strongly that they would like it to be in that Lake-Cook Road corridor. Even though that is not the physical center of the community anymore, it is the psychological center of the community.”

The success of the Buffalo Grove Golf Course, located behind the village hall and the police station, and demand for parking also were determining factors, Bragg said.