Buffalo Grove buries Town Center, rests hopes on The Clove
When Buffalo Grove officials sank their shovels into the dirt, they weren't just breaking ground on the $150 million mixed-use development spicily dubbed The Clove.
They were also burying the Town Center, the development The Clove is supplanting and, they hope, exceeding.
As Village President Beverly Sussman said during Thursday evening's groundbreaking ceremony for the new development on McHenry Road near Lake-Cook Road, "today marks a unique and exciting milestone in the history of Buffalo Grove."
"This will go down as the largest redevelopment project in our history," she said. "And we look forward and to the future prosperity this development will bring to our community."
But as Sussman shared her excitement about the future, she delivered a eulogy to the past.
"The Town Center was developed as a shopping center at a time when similar shopping centers were popping up around the suburbs. While it served its purpose at the time, there wasn't a greater vision of being a community center. And that's why I believe it was never completely successful," she said. "It became more of a strip mall, a location where people would pop in and out to run an errand or two. And for those of you who shopped here, the stores never lasted for a long time."
John Schoditsch, principal at Kensington Development Partners, the developer of The Clove, spoke about the future, which will include a nationally recognized grocery store; a seven-story building with a mix of high-end apartments and ground-floor shops; new restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Guzman y Gomez; and holdovers from the Town Center period like Giordano's.
"We are going to create that gathering place that the community deserves," he said.
Bob Kuker, managing partner with UrbanStreet Group, Kensington's partner in the development, thanked village officials, including the village staff, the village board and departments ranging from the building and zoning department to the fire department.
"This municipality ranks among the very best we've ever worked with," he said.
Village Manager Dane Bragg said that "Buffalo Grove is on the move."
"Over the last three years, our village has had more than $380 million in new public and private investment in our community. And tonight, we mark the occasion of $150 million in new public-private investment to turn our community's vision into a reality," Bragg said. "This development that we will see rise up here is more than just new buildings. It reflects a commitment to improving the quality of life for both our current residents, as well as a new generation of individuals and families who are choosing to make Buffalo Grove their home."