Years ago, there was a prominent billboard at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Deerfield Road in Buffalo Grove. It proudly announced that a new Plaza Berenesa strip mall would soon be built on the wide-open patch of weeds covering the intersection’s northwest corner and be ready to open in “Spring ’97.” There was only one problem — I saw the billboard for the first time in early 1999.
“Welcome to Buffalo Grove! No, you didn’t take a wrong turn into a time machine.”
Since the land was annexed by Buffalo Grove in 1990, when Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” blared from cars speeding by with windows rolled down and stereos cranked up, village leaders have tabled or turned down multiple plans from developers wanting to establish the “New Kids On The Block.” The latest reveal occurred in an August village board meeting recapped in the Pioneer Press story, “New project proposed for Milwaukee and Deerfield in Buffalo Grove.”
Real estate drawings were rolled out with the usual presentation pitch of what the area could become followed by elected officials picking the proposal apart – including an open discussion about which steak-serving restaurant would truly make the place a “destination.”
Have decades of discussions spanning parts of two centuries over this vacant lot screaming for development really come down to this? Public debate over picking the more attractive place to digest meat?
“Welcome to Buffalo Grove! Not responsible for your caloric intake or cholesterol levels.”
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Instead of perpetuating the same developer-presentation merry-go-round and stopping just short of bringing in Bill Murray to reenact his 1993 movie “Groundhog Day,” how about finally taking a different approach? If Buffalo Grove trustees insist on challenging out-of-town developers to come up with new ideas, all that will produce are new sales pitches promoting whatever businesses they can recruit to invest in the project. Is the village really interested in hearing how “a new Olive Garden would be a fabulous addition to the area?”
“Welcome to Buffalo Grove! Would you like bread sticks with that?”
After 25 years, it’s time for Buffalo Grove to step up, fully realize the opportunity at hand and stop relying on guidance from outsiders with financial interests. A good start would be calling a town hall meeting to get ideas from community members on what they would like to see on that strip of land.
All ideas should be welcome, including my vision of building a minor league baseball stadium with corporate meeting and event space for year-round use. If Schaumburg can make pro-baseball happen in its community, so can Buffalo Grove. Imagine sitting in the stands on a summer evening to hear former Buffalo Grove village trustee Mike Terson, who also served as public address announcer for the Chicago Cubs and Wolves, introduce the starting lineup, “…for your Buffalo Grove Stampede!”
On a more practical scale, local leaders should broaden their focus and develop innovative approaches for attracting start-up small businesses. Instead of spending time on whether another specialty grocery store selling pickled herring from Denmark is a must, why not create business development and tax break incentives designed to help local residents become community entrepreneurs?
Think of the mom or dad running a bakery business out of their kitchen with dreams of opening their own shop or local artists teaming up to open their own gallery – instead of being relegated to pop-up booths at area art fairs sandwiched between salespeople desperately wanting to know if I need windows or have leaves in my gutters.
Making it easier for would-be local business operators to get going would also help. Compared to government websites with pages such as “Ready to start a business in Streamwood?” and Arlington Heights’ Business Incentives Programs site, it’s easier to buy a dog tag on Buffalo Grove’s home page than follow links for filling out forms on the village’s sparse Business Programs & Resources site.
Creating a special, local business incentive district for at least part of the still-barren property would be a positive beginning for generating economic development and a real “retail destination.”
Right now, Buffalo Grove’s largest shopping center — a 1980s earth-toned relic in the heart of the community – is home to two cigarette stores within 115 steps of each other’s front door — yes, I counted strides without entering either one — along with a pool hall and a Burger King.
“Welcome to Buffalo Grove! Shades of Appalachia in Suburbia!”
Time ran out a long time ago on waiting for developers to offer up their “economic destination” plans for the village’s Milwaukee Avenue corridor. Leaders can choose to be proactive and partner with the community on building something that draws positive attention or wait and react to the next mixed-use development pitch. As of now, the only development in the property’s near future would be a new billboard proclaiming the status quo.
“Welcome to Buffalo Grove! Gateway to Lincolnshire and Wheeling.”
Eric Scott is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.