Daily Herald opinion: ‘Still moving forward’: East Dundee performing arts center plans alive despite development setback

The dream of building a performing arts center in downtown East Dundee is not dead, even though the larger redevelopment it was expected to anchor has been scrapped.

Developer Sightwell recently told East Dundee officials that it can no longer pursue a plan to transform a former lumberyard into a mixed-use development featuring townhouses, apartments, boutique lodging and retail.

Nevertheless, East Dundee officials remain optimistic about the future of the 2-acre property at 110 Railroad St.

That’s because the Crystal Lake-based Raue Center for the Arts remains committed to constructing a satellite performing arts center at the site.

“The performing arts center is still moving forward, and is enthusiastically on track,” East Dundee Village Administrator Erika Storlie wrote in a memo to village trustees.

The Raue Center, which opened in 2001 in Crystal Lake, features live concerts, stand-up comedy shows and plays by the Williams Street Repertory. It also hosts a variety of educational programs, including shows for students and performing arts classes for the community.

In 2024, Raue Center officials made a public pitch for a possible expansion into East Dundee. The idea was suggested after the village purchased the former lumberyard property in the heart of its downtown district in 2023 for $800,000.

Last year, East Dundee invited developers to submit proposals for a redevelopment that the performing arts center could anchor. Sightwell was the only one to respond.

While Sightwell is no longer involved, correspondent Alicia Fabbre has reported that work on the theater could begin as early as 2027.

The yet-to-be-named facility is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete and could open as early as 2029.

In the meantime, East Dundee officials plan to make improvements to the site — such as demolishing existing buildings — to spark redevelopment of the rest of the property.

“Once we get it site-ready, it’s going to be a lot more attractive, and we’ll probably get a lot more bids,” Storlie told village trustees during a recent meeting.

We applaud East Dundee for refusing to let one setback derail the larger goal of having a performing arts center. They are simply charting a different path to get where they want to go.

Raue Center officials have said that they envision a 250- to 350-seat theater with the potential for outdoor performances. If the satellite location has performances and programs similar to what’s offered in Crystal Lake, it will provide a cultural boost to East Dundee and help draw more visitors to the downtown.

It is our hope that other developers see the value in what the East Dundee site could become and help get the larger redevelopment project back on track.