Buffalo Grove nears closing on new village hall, police headquarters site

The proposed conversion of an office building into Buffalo Grove’s next village hall and police headquarters received high marks in a report released at a special village board meeting Monday.

But one village trustee gave a thumbs-down to the village for public transparency about the project.

The report was the result of a review of the 8.3-acre property at 1100 W. Lake-Cook Road and 96,731-square-foot office building the village could convert into a police station, village hall and potentially new home for the Indian Trails Public Library.

The village board voted in December on a $6.25 million purchase and sale agreement. It is expected to vote on closing within the next month or two, once an ongoing due diligence period is complete.

The current village hall at 50 Raupp Blvd. was built in 1970. The police station at 46 Raupp Blvd. dates to 1988. Village trustees have said both are cramped, inefficient and inadequate to serve the needs of a population that has grown from around 10,000 to more than 40,000.

The report, given by consultants Marc Rogers of CCS International Inc. and Jason Estes of FGM Architects, said the due diligence findings gave the building a clean environmental bill of health. It is also structurally sound and in good condition.

However, its mechanical, electrical and plumbing are in need of replacement. The report also flagged the condition of the roof as something that needs attention.

Construction costs to renovate the building are an estimated $52 million, about half the cost of a new building. Completion would be targeted for 2029.

Trustee David Weidenfeld criticized the village for not giving residents enough opportunity to evaluate and comment on the concept beyond the December meeting.

“This is the first public meeting where the public has been literally told all of this stuff,” he said.

Resident Craig Horwitz also complained about transparency, saying the December meeting was held at 5 p.m. on a Tuesday and attended by one news reporter.

But Trustee Joanne Johnson argued the public was adequately informed through the meeting in December, village communication channels and conversations between trustees and residents.

“It was in our newsletter. It’s been on our website. That’s how you communicate with people these days,” Johnson said.

szalusky@dailyherald.com