Hoffman Estates buys Higgins Road office complex as site of future fire station
Hoffman Estates has closed on its purchase of three single-story office buildings on Higgins Road for the future home of a replacement Fire Station 22, bypassing a potentially lengthy condemnation process.
Village officials initiated eminent domain proceedings in early September to acquire the 2.8-acre site at 2170, 2180 and 2190 W. Higgins Road, but a month later negotiated a purchase price with the owner. The village will pay $53,000 more than the site's $2 million appraised value.
The closing occurred Oct. 14 and officials will begin meeting with tenants Friday with an eye toward negotiating an early end to long-term leases, Village Manager Eric Palm said.
The longest lease would expire around 2029, but the recent suggestion of a residential redevelopment on the site may have some office tenants considering an earlier exit, he added. The hope is to relocate as many tenants as possible elsewhere in Hoffman Estates, Palm said.
The Hoffman Estates Community Bank building at 2200 W. Higgins Road is adjacent to but not part of the future fire station site.
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. Though considered outdated and cramped, consultants say the site is nearly ideal for the fire department's service area. That led village officials to look closely at the surrounding area for a suitable new site.
Village officials are prioritizing the replacement of the equally old Fire Station 21 at 225 Flagstaff Lane. The new station is planned for village-owned land adjacent Chino Park.
Officials have estimated the start of construction on a new Station 21 to be next spring, while the building of a new Station 22 would optimally begin in the spring of 2026.
During the summer, 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 fees not covered by their insurance waived by the village.