Schaumburg favors enhancing first phase of park on former Motorola Solutions campus
Last month's approval of the first phase of a 12-acre urban-style park on a portion of the former Motorola Solutions campus in Schaumburg was sufficiently enough under budget that village officials are now aiming to add a bike path and some other amenities that would make phase one more substantial.
Further elements would include a hammock grove for relaxation, additional landscaping, entry and pathway signs, another round of engineering and design work, and more benches, bike racks, drinking fountains and trash receptacles.
The recommendation trustees made Tuesday and will formally vote on in a week would add approximately $985,000 to the previous contract of $1,1 million the village approved for Martam Construction Inc. of Elgin in May.
Even with the recommended additions, the park project that would be among the village's contributions to the 225-acre Veridian development taking shape at the southwest corner of Algonquin and Meacham roads would still be below what was budgeted for the year, Schaumburg Landscape & Design Planner Todd Wenger said.
But even with the conceptual approval anticipated next Tuesday, Wenger said he would have to fine-tune the cost of the additional amenities with Martam Construction.
While Chicago-based UrbanStreet Group LLC is overseeing the private redevelopment turning the former Motorola site into a hub of residential, commercial and entertainment buildings, the village has taken responsibility for the new roadway through it as well as the central park.
Intended to be a sort of scaled-down Millennium Park for the suburbs, the final phases of it could house such amenities as a large outdoor performance venue, a sculpture garden, a dog park and a winter ice rink.
But because the amount of time between phases is uncertain, village officials expressed an interest in making the first phase as good as possible for its expected completion late this year.
"I think it's a good selling point for the developer, but I also think it's a good selling point for the village of Schaumburg," Mayor Tom Dailly said.
The bike path that would be the biggest addition to what's already been approved would connect to the existing network along adjacent roadways, Wenger said.