Why Itasca officials said no to new military facility

Itasca officials have some ideas about what should be built on the prime real estate at 1122 N. Arlington Heights Road in the Hamilton Lakes complex.

But a one-story U.S. General Services Administration office is not one of them.

During a Tuesday meeting the Itasca village board listened to a proposal by Ron Lunt, co-founder of Hamilton Partners, who said a developer approached him about building a 6.5-acre military processing center on the site.

Trustees said they are eager to welcome new business to the village but hope it can be built at a different location on the Hamilton property.

"That could potentially become the gateway to Hamilton Lakes (when Western access to O'Hare International Airport is built) and we're really not interested in having such a low-density development in that exact spot," said Trustee Ellen Leahy.

The proposed military processing center would be leased by the U.S. government from a private developer and would generate property tax revenue for Itasca.

The center would assist all branches of the military as personnel prepare to report for duty, Lunt said, and could employ more than 100 people.

Village President Jeff Pruyn said he believes a one-story building is not the best use of this 10-acre site, whose main exit is on Prospect Avenue, especially since Itasca will have few land parcels left to develop for retail or offices once work begins on western access to O'Hare.

"If I had my druthers, I'd like to see condos with first-floor retail," Pruyn said.

But Lunt countered that Hamilton Partners has had problems finding retailers interested in the site.

"We've been sitting on it for seven years. ... I need to know what you want to see there," Lunt said to the board.

The trustees and Lunt agreed to suggest a different, less central site on the Hamilton property to the military center developer. No future discussions have yet been scheduled on the issue.

Military: Village president wants to see condos there