Expansion could save Siemens for Buffalo Grove

A global tech giant is on its way to solidifying its commitment to Buffalo Grove.

Siemens has been a longtime presence at the Covington Corporate Center.

Now the company plans to add a 76,500-square-foot warehouse and distribution center to the company's existing office building at 1000 Deerfield Parkway. The addition, including 12 truck loading docks, would be built on the site of an adjacent Siemens office building at 990 Deerfield Parkway that was demolished in 2023.

The Buffalo Grove location is the home to the corporate headquarters for Siemens’ Smart Infrastructure Building North America division, which focuses on upgrading buildings, electrical systems and power grids.

The property owner, CRE Deerfield Associates LLC, is asking the Buffalo Grove village board for permission to expand in the hope of retaining Siemens as a tenant. It says Siemens wants to consolidate off-site warehouse and distribution functions into the new space to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.

The village’s planning and zoning commission recommended the village board approve the expansion plan at its Wednesday meeting. The village board is expected to vote on it in June.

Siemens employs roughly 300 at the Buffalo Grove location. Representatives of the property owner said headcount will not change significantly with the expansion.

The commission recommended approval of the consolidation of three parcels — the office building lot, the former building site to the west and an access lot to the north — into a single industrial parcel. It also recommended a requested reduction in required parking. Village code requires 378 stalls for a project of this size and use, while CRE proposed 348.

Lawrence Freedman, attorney for the property owner, told the commission the additional 30 spaces would be an unnecessary burden on the site and restrict planning.

“I’m glad to see Siemens is looking to stay here, as opposed to going somewhere else. Since that building was torn down, it was always a concern,” Commissioner Adam Moodhe said.