Tense Sears Centre talk at Hoffman Estates board

Hoffman Estates Trustee Cary Collins left Monday's board meeting after his colleagues discussed what he called the beginning of foreclosure proceedings on the Sears Centre.

Though no vote took place, Collins said he was frustrated with the direction the board seemed to be taking. He left before the rest of the board emerged from a closed-door session in which Collins said there was talk of filing for a foreclosure against the owners of the arena, the Ryan Cos.

The Ryan Cos. have struggled to pay back the $55 million village-backed loan the developer received in 2005 to build the venue. Ryan posted more than a $512,000 operating loss with the Sears Centre last year.

Collins said he wishes the board would have better notified the public and media that it was leaning toward action. Foreclosure could lead to a lengthy court battle, Collins said.

"I don't trust them more than I could throw them," Collins said of the board after the meeting.

Mayor William McLeod would not divulge details of the closed session, saying only the board would discuss the matter at a future meeting.

Before the closed session, the board moved to hire a firm run by the son of Bulls and White Sox controlling owner Jerry Reinsdorf for consulting work related to the Sears Centre.

Michael Reinsdorf heads International Facilities Group, which was involved in the stalled plans to build the outdoor Prairie Creek Music Theater on the village's west side near the Sears Centre. IFG already has submitted a report suggesting firms that would run the struggling arena once the village takes it over.

Village preliminarily agreed to pay IFG a maximum of $124,000. That will pay for consulting to help the village once it takes control of the venue, serving as an interim operator if Ryan walks away before the village can hire a firm to run the building, and managing the arena if it needs to be temporarily shuttered before the village takes over.

The money would come from the village's general fund reserve. The board unanimously approved the action, pending Village Attorney Art Janura review.

The board also voted to raise Janura's hourly wages. Janura requested his hourly rate be increased to $192, as the work needed for the Sears Centre deal will require additional attorneys from Janura's law firm, Arnstein and Lehr LLP.

Tense: Village lines up Sears Centre consultant