Buffalo Grove trustee hopefuls debate future of Lake-Cook corridor
Is Buffalo Grove moving too slowly and conservatively to redevelop struggling areas of its Lake-Cook Road Corridor?
The five candidates for village trustee recently debated issues surrounding the corridor, as plans continue to unfold for its development.
Incumbent trustees Andrew Stein, Lester Ottenheimer and Joanne Johnson are facing challengers Gowri Magati and former trustee Michael Terson in the April 6 election. Three, four-year terms are at stake.
Stein said he likes the mixed-use concept that's been proposed as a redevelopment of the Town Center shopping center at Lake-Cook Road and Route 83.
"But beyond Town Center, I also like the idea of developing Lake-Cook Road," he said.
He is excited over the future development of The Grove, across the street from the Town Center, and the redevelopment of Northwest Community Hospital's immediate care facility, as well as the Ricky Rockets fuel center on the east edge of the corridor.
For Terson, however, the village's pace has been too slow and its aims too small. He said that rather than coming up with an aggressive plan for redevelopment revolving around the Buffalo Grove Golf Course, the village board capitulated to opponents of a proposed "downtown" and focused on Town Center and ancillary properties.
"The golf course is the Michael Jordan on your team," he said. "That's the game changer."
The golf course could become a walkable dining and entertainment district that links to Willow Stream Park across Lake-Cook and attracts more development to the rest of the corridor.
Ottenheimer believes the total makeover of Town Center could create a regional draw for Buffalo Grove. Mixed-use development is the key, he said, adding that a big step was the creation of a tax increment financing district "because it gives incentives for businesses to want to come to the village."
"I don't believe it's a viable alternative to build on the golf course," Ottenheimer said. "The golf course is a floodplain. Years and years ago, there were estimates that it would take $20 million just to remediate the golf course."
Johnson said she would like to see the word "downtown" no longer used with development proposals in Buffalo Grove.
"We're never going to have a traditional downtown in Buffalo Grove, because we don't have that transportation hub like an Arlington Heights or a Libertyville might have," she said. "But what we could have is a Magnificent Mile. Lake-Cook Road could become our Main Street."
The game changer to Johnson are the TIF district incentives that already have attracted a proven developer for Town Center.
If the Buffalo Grove Golb Club ceases to operate as a golf course, Johnson said she would like to see it remain largely open space with bike and walking paths, and even areas for kayaking.
"I would love to see us have our green spaces on all sides connect to the Lake-Cook corridor," she said.
Like Terson, Magati said she's frustrated with the pace of improvements along the Lake-Cook corridor.
"For the past 10 years, I've been hearing the conversations (about) Lake-Cook corridor planning and hearing, 'It's coming.' But I'm not seeing anything that's going to be happening. I'm not seeing that," she said.
She said she favors "smart business development" for the area, including entertainment and recreation amenities that will attract young professionals.
She said, "Smart business development is the only way we can bring more revenue to the village and we can really lessen the burden of property taxes on the residents."