Second counseling business looking to move across from Elgin middle school

Elgin City Council members will be asked to double down on adding new mental health counselors and patients at an office building across the street from Kimball Middle School.

The new plan presented to the city's planning and zoning commission would place a second counseling business into the vacant first floor of a building at 452. S. McLean Boulevard. The new business provides counseling to people experiencing depression, anxiety, marital or family issues, grief and post-traumatic stress disorder.

It would be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

If approved, Phoenix Family Center LLC would move from its current location on the east side of the city and share the first floor with the Community Crisis Center, which provides counseling services to people convicted of domestic abuse. Both businesses serve people who must get assessed or counseling because of a court order.

Tracy Groesser, who represented the center during its presentation to the commission, said the business opened in 2014. Most of the counselors have worked in the Elgin community for more than 20 years.

“We are well-acquainted with the community,” she said. “We felt moving to this new location would help us serve the community better.”

Groesser cited the nearby public transportation and parking as reasons the business likes the McLean location. Planning and zoning commissioners noted the business would complement the pending application from the Community Crisis Center and the service agency that already occupies the second floor.

The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services uses the second floor to work with people who have disabilities.

Commissioners unanimously recommended approval for the plan. The city council must still vote before the project can move ahead.