Study of possible 'downtown' in Buffalo Grove almost complete

Buffalo Grove has received a draft of a study that could influence the future of a possible "downtown" on and around the Buffalo Grove Golf Course.

Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas said a final draft of the study by Christopher B. Burke Engineering Ltd. could be available by the Sept. 8 village board meeting - and the final draft would be posted prior to the meeting.

The village board approved the study at its Feb. 3 meeting at a cost not to exceed $79,000. Maltas said staff held a meeting on Aug. 13 to discuss questions raised by the draft. Those questions were submitted to Burke for consideration in developing a final draft.

She said the information submitted by Burke included an alternative plan for the site but said she could not comment on that alternative at this point.

"Right now it's not complete," Maltas said of the study. "It's just a draft that we received."

In August 2012, local developer CRM Properties Group Ltd. proposed developing a central business district on the village's government campus at Lake-Cook Road and Raupp Boulevard.

The developer proposed acquiring parts of the Buffalo Grove Golf Club and village campus properties with an eye to creating an approximately 65-acre mixed-use development containing a new municipal campus, retail stores, upper-story residences, condominium towers, high-quality public gathering places, cultural amenities and other site improvements.

The proposal drew immediate opposition from some village residents, and village officials promised no action would be taken without study and public input.

At the Feb. 3 meeting where the study was approved, Village Manager Dane Bragg said, "We've had ongoing discussions with the developer. Obviously there is no project at this point. So we won't know whether we have a project, whether it be with CRM Properties or anyone else, until we know what we can develop on the site."

With that in mind, the village contracted with Burke to assess the floodplain characteristics, conduct hydraulic modeling, wetland and soils investigation and develop a buildable area plan for the site.

"The intent of the study was to determine if there was developable area, if there was a site that could be developed and what it would take in order to make that happen," Maltas said this week.