West Dundee plans to build new police station at former Spring Hill Mall site

West Dundee trustees are getting started on their first project at the former Spring Hill Mall site.

On Monday, the trustees hired Itasca-based Williams Architects to draft plans for a new police station to be built on the property.

The village hopes to break ground on the project in 2027, likely making it the first new building at the former mall site, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.

“It’s going to set the bar and tone for future redevelopment,” Cavallaro said of the project.

West Dundee began purchasing portions of the mall in 2023. In all, the village paid just over $10 million to buy the former Sears, Macy’s and Carson Pirie Scott buildings, along with the core of the mall.

Spring Hill Mall opened in 1980 and closed in March of 2024. The village has said that acquiring the property was key to clearing the way for redevelopment.

A new police station is expected to cost the village $20 million to $25 million, Cavallaro said. To pay for it, he expects the village to issue bonds and use money from the tax increment finance district that includes the mall property.

Currently, the village’s police department shares space with the fire department in a public safety building located off Route 31 near Strom Drive.

That building was built in1986 at a time when the police department had just eight officers. Since then, the department has tripled in size and currently has 24 officers. The department is expected to top out at about 30 officers in the next five to 10 years, West Dundee Police Chief Shawn Green said.

“We’ve very much outgrown our current space,” he said.

The village is considering two potential spots on the mall property for the new police station. One on the east side of the property off Route 31, near an existing Red Lobster and LA Fitness, Cavallaro said. The other is on the west side, set back off Route 72, closer to the Jewel grocery store.

“We don’t want to take all the prime development acreage off the table with a municipal non-taxable use,” he said.

The village’s contract with Williams Architects includes $130,000 to draft a concept design. Williams would ultimately be paid 6.5% of project costs when the new station is built.

The mall property will provide a more central location for the police station, Cavallaro said. Green added that a new building will help meet the department’s current and future needs for training space, evidence processing and storage and office space.

“We’ve woefully outgrown our current building, and we want to make sure that the next one is here to stay for twice as long if possible,” he said.

Cavallaro said he expects Williams Architects to present plans for the new building by the summer.