Hoffman Estates begins condemnation of offices to make way for new fire station
Hoffman Estates village board members Tuesday approved the start of condemnation proceedings to acquire three single-story office buildings as a replacement site for the half-century-old Fire Station 22 across Higgins Road.
The three buildings, which the village estimates to have roughly a dozen remaining tenants, are at 2170, 2180 and 2190 W. Higgins Road.
The 2.8-acre site is next to the Hoffman Estates Community Bank building at 2200 W. Higgins Road.
The current Station 22 is just over the road at 1700 Moon Lake Blvd., on the west side of the Ascension St. Alexius Medical Center campus.
Village officials didn't look far for potential new sites. Despite the station's aging and cramped facilities, consultants recently characterized its location as nearly ideal for its primary service area. Other consultants, at BBG Real Estate Services, have determined the fair market value of the Higgins Road office campus to be $1.04 million while employed by the village.
But Village Manager Eric Palm emphasized that Tuesday's use of Hoffman Estates' eminent domain authority was just the start of a negotiation process with the owner.
There's also a desire to relocate as many of the tenants as possible elsewhere in the village, he said.
"We have time on our hands," Palm said. "We're not in a rush to get that station built. We want to do it in a thoughtful and deliberate manner."
Officials previously made clear they're prioritizing the replacement of the equally old Fire Station 21 at 225 Flagstaff Lane on land the village already owns in the adjacent Chino Park.
They've estimated the start of construction on a new Station 21 to be next spring, while the building of a new Station 22 would begin in the spring of 2026.
Last month, the village board approved a pair of funding sources for the replacement fire stations.
One is an increase in the village's electricity tax rate affecting only businesses that use as much power as data centers.
The other source is an increase in the portion of ambulance fees covered by insurance. Residents would see any amount not covered by their insurance waived by the village.