Hoffman Estates buys land for electronic gateway sign to entertainment district

Hoffman Estates officials have approved the $45,000 purchase of a third-acre of land at the corner of Route 59 and Hoffman Boulevard to build an electronic gateway sign welcoming visitors to the entertainment district anchored by the Now Arena.

For more than a decade, the site has featured temporary red and black signs with a logo and the numbers 59 and 90 - representing Route 59 and Interstate 90 - in the shape of a highway interchange.

Hoffman Estates Economic Development Director Kevin Kramer said something permanent and illuminated has long been considered, after requests from Cabela's and other businesses in the district.

A company was hired to draw up a 15-by-20-foot design before the pandemic, but village officials likely will revisit the sign's appearance.

"We'll probably re-evaluate the size," Kramer told village board members at a recent committee meeting. "Obviously, costs of everything have increased substantially since 2019. So, looking back to see if the size is still what we want within the price of what we want to pay for something that size."

Kramer added that he would expect to have a design ready for review by late summer, so that it can be manufactured and installed on the site.

Though the village initially considered paying an annual $6,000 easement fee for placement of the sign, the staff suggested that buying the land outright from Conor Commercial Real Estate might be more cost-effective.

Kramer said the negotiated price of $45,000 for the southwest corner of the intersection was well below the appraised value of the land.

The purchase agreement allows the marketing signs to the north and south of the site to remain in place for either a year after the remainder of the property is sold or five years altogether - whichever is earlier.