New sound stage latest in downtown East Dundee improvements

Changes are coming to downtown East Dundee.

Trustees are considering plans for a sound stage to be built at 120 Railroad St., south of The Depot. The project is expected to cost $1.6 million and is the latest in a series of improvements to the downtown district.

“We’re really enthusiastic about it,” East Dundee Village Administrator Erika Storlie said.

The sound stage would provide a space for live music or entertainment at the village’s various summer events, including Motor Monday Cruise Nights, Wine Down Wednesday, and Thirsty Thursday and other special events such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade, Storlie said.

“I do think it’s a good project for the village because we spend quite a bit of money on renting stages for the events,” East Dundee Trustee Kathleen Mahony said.

She said the sound stage also has the potential to expand the village’s event space and to enhance the experience for those who come to any of the village’s events.

Crystal Lake’s Raue Center for Performing Arts hopes to open a second theater in East Dundee just south of the sound stage. The theater is part of a proposed project that includes townhomes, retail and space for the theater.

Storlie said the Raue Center has expressed interest in using the outdoor sound stage for events. She added the village could also use the space for outdoor movie nights. The grassy area around the sound stage could seat up to 400 people, Storlie said.

While trustees are favorable to the concept of an outdoor stage, some have raised questions about the design.

Mahony has expressed concern about some aspects of the design and has suggested the village may need to work with a different firm.

“For the amount of money we’re spending, I want to have the right people building this,” she said.

Village trustees are expected to continue discussions on the design of the sound stage at a future meeting. Officials would like to have the design finalized in time to start construction later this summer. The hope is to have the sound stage completed in the late fall.

The village plans to use some of the money generated through the downtown tax increment finance district to pay for the construction of the sound stage. Storlie said the village is also looking for business sponsors to help cover costs.