S. Elgin may extend Bowes Road

A tentative plan to extend Bowes Road eastward to Route 31 and develop a 75-acre industrial park on South Elgin's north side has received positive feedback from village leaders.

"I was hoping for this 10 years ago. I think it will be great," said Trustee Steve Ward.

"It's a great idea. That's what we need on the north end," Trustee Bill DiFulvio said.

The Bartlett-based Abbott Land and Investment Corp. hopes to extend Bowes about two-thirds of a mile east from its ending point in an industrial park off McLean Boulevard to spur demand for the new industrial park.

Although village trustees like Abbott's concept plan, details still must be hammered out with the village staff and the project must go before the village's plan commission and village board for ultimate approval.

Impacting neighbors does not appear to be a problem -- surrounding the area is a city of Elgin-owned quarry, a mental hospital and other industrial businesses.

Dean Kelley, Abbott president, plans to ask village leaders to help fund the road and possibly remediate parts of the site, which is vacant now but used to be part of an asphalt plant.

The area is part of a Tax Increment Financing district.

In a TIF district, property tax levels are frozen for up to 23 years. Bonds can be repaid from taxes on future development and are often used to fund infrastructure improvements.

Kelley said it's too early to tell how much his firm will be asking of the village, but "it's certainly not eight figures."

Kelley said his firm owns about 47 acres of the site and wanted to come to South Elgin because it's a good area, great location and "a town that wants development."

Ideally, he hopes to begin moving soil by spring or summer 2009.

Steve Super, the village's director of community development, called the plan "exciting" and said it will give the village larger tracts of land to perhaps net bigger businesses.

"We're never been in the running for those. We don't have the property," he said.