Economic Development Strategic Plan

Village of Buffalo Grove

Economic Development Strategic Plan February 2016

Acknowledgements Thank you to the following groups and individuals who participated in the creation of this plan:

Buffalo Grove Village Board Beverly Sussman, Village President Janet Sirabian, Village Clerk Jeffrey Berman, Trustee Steven Trilling, Trustee Lester A. Ottenheimer III, Trustee Andrew Stein, Trustee David Weidenfeld, Trustee

Project Steering Committee

Lester A. Ottenheimer III, Village Trustee Dave Ruber, Yaskawa Paul Sheridan, Hamilton Partners Eric Smith, Buffalo Grove Planning & Zoning Commission Michael Stevens, Lake County Partners Tim Donahue, Buffalo Grove Town Center Representative Peter Panayiotou, Continental Restaurant

Joanne Johnson, Trustee

Jennifer Serino Stasch, Lake County Workforce Development

Village Staff

Rich Cillessen, Siemens Building Technologies

Christopher Stilling, Director of Community Development Nicole Woods, Village Planner Evan Michel, Management Analyst Dane C. Bragg, Village Manager

Maria (Nina) Strezewski, Resident Sangeetha Subramanian, Resident Michael Abruzzini, Buffalo Grove/ Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce

Jennifer Maltas, Deputy Village Manager

All photos are property of the Village of Buffalo Grove unless otherwise noted.

Table of Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................................1 Section One: Economic Growth.................................................................8 Summary of Existing Conditions Goals, Recommendations, Action Steps Section Two: Land Use and Development.........................................18 Summary of Existing Conditions Goals, Recommendations, Action Steps Section Three: Quality of Life....................................................................36 Summary of Existing Conditions Goals, Recommendations, Action Steps Section Four: Implementation Matrix....................................................42 Appendices

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Introduction

Introduction Since its incorporation in 1958, the Village of Buffalo Grove has remained a unique and important community in the Chicago metropolitan region. In addition to its family-friendly amenities, the Village is a key economic center with over 10 million square feet of commercial space and approximately 20,000 workers who commute to Buffalo Grove from all over the region. To protect and enhance this economic activity, the Village has developed an Economic Development Strategic Plan (Plan). The plan will define the economic development vision for the Village and the steps needed to achieve that vision.

Willing Property Owner

Viable Business

Proactive Municipality

What is Economic Development?

Economic development is traditionally defined as the attraction, retention, and expansion of development and businesses.

Economic development generally requires the alignment of three key players: a willing property owner, a viable business, and a proactive village.

A willing property owner is an owner of land/facility and is currently selling or leasing, or looking to sell or lease property to a viable business. This owner will generally utilize brokers, developers, and reports to understand market trends and could be interested in developing, redeveloping, or making other physical improvements to the property as well as land acquisition and assembly.

The final and third key player is a proactive municipality or governing body. This key player helps facilitate and regulate dealings among willing property owners and viable businesses with programs, policies, and activities that seek to improve the economic well-being and quality of life for a community.

The second key player, a viable business, is a new, existing, or expanding business. This key player is seeking or working with a willing property owner to occupy a facility. A viable business requires a facility that fulfills certain physical requirements (building specifications) as well as market requirements (located in an area of market demand).

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Economic Development Strategic Plan Objective and Rationale A municipality cannot achieve economic development solely on its own as it has limited influence in cultivating and aligning willing property owners and viable businesses.

The only aspect of economic development wholly within a municipality’s control is its ability to embrace and fulfill the role of a proactive municipality.

The Economic Development Strategic Plan will help the Village optimize its role as a proactive municipality.

It is meant to be a long-term guide in developing and implementing policies that will position the community for economic development opportunities now and in the future.

The Plan is intended to provide this guidance for the next 10-15 years; however, the Village can update this plan at any time, and an annual review is encouraged.

Relationship to Local and Regional Initiatives To ensure compatibility with other local and regional initiatives and optimize the opportunity for future partnerships, the Economic Development Strategic Plan incorporates and builds off of relevant Village, county, and regional plans, projects, and initiatives. These projects and initiatives include but are not limited to: Route 53/120 project, Lake-Cook Road widening project, Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative, and Lake County Partner’s Business Outreach Program. Plans and studies directly related to this Plan are listed below and are described in more detail in Appendix A. • Village of Buffalo Grove Strategic Plan 2013-2018 (2012)

The Plan is particularly timely for a variety of reasons. First, the Village of Buffalo Grove has already taken several steps to become a proactive village. It has streamlined processes by combining the Plan Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals, limiting the number of referrals required before the Village Board, and simplifying the Appearance Review Committee process. It has also begun to set a clear vision by establishing a new Community Development Department.

The Economic Development Strategic Plan will build off of these previous initiatives.

• Village of Buffalo Grove Comprehensive Plan (2009)

Second, the economic development landscape is evolving.

National trends such as the rise in e-commerce and telecommuting, advancement in technology, shrinkage of the retail footprint, emergence of the millennial generation, and comeback of the manufacturing industry are having considerable impacts on communities, businesses, and development. More localized trends such as the closing of Dominick’s grocery stores, northern and westward expansion of industrial development, and new leadership in Springfield are also affecting economic development dynamics. The Economic Development Strategic Plan explores these issues and helps the Village navigate them to achieve long-term economic stability.

• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning GOTO 2040 (2010)

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

• Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study (2007) • Lake County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (2012) • Planning for Progress – Cook County’s Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, 2015-2019 (2015) • Homes for a Changing Region (2013)

Homes for a Changing Region Phase 3: Implementing Balanced Housing Plans at the Local Level

Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study

Year Six: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Rolling Meadows

January 2007

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Public Participation and Community Outreach Community engagement is a critical part of the Economic Development Strategic Plan process. Village staff formulated an outreach strategy to reach businesses, property owners, developers, residents, and other stakeholders throughout the planning process. These outreach activities are detailed in Appendix B and include meetings, interviews, workshops, presentations, open houses, and one-on-one interviews.

Commonly expressed economic development strengths, weaknesses, and ideas for the future are shown below.

These ideas ultimately helped shape the direction of the Plan.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan OPEN HOUSE Wednesday, December 2nd

5:00pm – 7:00 pm

Village Hall Council Chambers 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strengths: (Identified by stakeholders through outreach efforts) • General accessibility to regional road networks.

The accessibility to these road networks, particularly Interstate 94, is beneficial for both freight and passenger movement.

• Ideal regional location in Cook County and Lake County. Buffalo Grove’s location provides great access to labor and other industry centers. Additionally, Lake

County has favorable tax structures for commercial development.

We Want to Hear From You! The Village of Buffalo Grove is creating an Economic Development Strategic Plan that will identify how the Village can achieve long-term economic growth. The Plan has been developed over the past year and is in its final stages. The Village is hosting an Open House for the public to view and provide feedback on the Plan before it is finalized.

Drop on in anytime between 5:00pm and 7:00pm on December 2nd to learn more about the Plan and share your thoughts!

To learn more about the plan go to the “Economic Development Strategic Plan” link on the Village’s website: www.vbg.org or call the Community Development Department at 847-459-5530.

• Strong demographic profile. The Village has a stable population with relatively high household incomes and high educational attainment levels.

• High quality of life and services. These amenities and services include but are not limited to parks, schools, police, fire, and other Village services.

• Solid base of businesses and industries.

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Buffalo Grove Economic Development Weaknesses (Identified by stakeholders through outreach efforts) • Developers grappling with national and regional trends such as shrinking retail opportunities, limited access to capital, and an uncertain Illinois economy.

• Communications need to improve between existing businesses and the Village.

• Lack of incentives or programs to encourage business and development growth. Developers noted the Village’s lengthy development processes, cumbersome sign code, and reputation of being difficult in approving commercial projects.

• Outdated shopping centers, no central business district, and limited number and type of restaurants for residents and workers. Strong retail competition in nearby communities such as Deer Park, Lincolnshire, Wheeling, and Vernon Hills.

• High office vacancy rate.

• Misconception that manufacturing businesses in the Village are traditional manufacturing plants or “smokestacks.” In reality, these companies are more appropriately classified as light or advanced manufacturing centers.

• Limited public transportation options as well as limited utilization and awareness of these options.

• High traffic and gridlock, especially along Lake-Cook Road.

• Jobs/housing mismatch. Industries and companies in and around Buffalo Grove are in need of young, highly- skilled professionals. However, a large portion of this demographic lives in, or closer to Chicago.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

• Lack of housing stock diversity. The Village lacks housing options for young professionals, young families, and empty nesters looking to downsize.

• Lack of diversity among residential population.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Vision for the Future (Identified by stakeholders through outreach efforts) • Strong and diverse employment, industry, and residential base.

• Welcoming environment to a diverse array of residents.

• Development of a central business district to provide the Village with an identity, focal point, and synergy.

• Redevelopment of commercial areas to meet current market demands.

• Increased nightlife activities, particularly entertainment and dining options.

• Promotion of industrial areas as advanced/high-tech manufacturing centers.

• Strong communications and relations with existing businesses. Village helps facilitate supportive services and programs for business development and growth.

• Development processes and codes are clear, concise, and streamlined.

• Village offers programs and incentives for development.

• The Village is aggressive and nimble in attracting and retaining businesses and development.

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Planning Process The planning process to create the Economic Development Strategic Plan included multiple phases, which are shown below.

This process was overseen by the Economic Development Strategic Plan Steering Committee, which included businesses, developers, elected/appointed officials, as well as other appropriate community groups and stakeholders to represent the varied business and development interests in Buffalo Grove.

The Market Assessment was developed in the second stage of the planning process and is a snapshot of the existing market conditions in the Village. These findings set the framework for the goals, recommendations, and action steps featured in the Economic Development Strategic Plan. A weblink to the Market Assessment is provided in Appendix C.

Economic Development Strategic Plan Phases of Development

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Plan Overview The Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan is organized into sections that correspond with the plan’s major themes of economic growth, land use and development, and quality of life. Each thematic section presents a summary of the existing conditions and a goal outlining a desired outcome. Each goal was developed through collaborative discussions with Buffalo Grove elected officials, staff, business owners, property owners, local leaders, and other stakeholders. Following each goal is a set of recommendations and action steps needed to achieve these goals. Many of the presented concepts and ideas are applicable to more than one goal or recommendation, but are listed in sections deemed most appropriate.

A summary of the goals, recommendations, and action steps are presented in Section Four.

Section Summaries

Section Two: Land Use and Development Goal: Buffalo Grove will sustain and grow its economic base with new, redeveloped, improved, and maintained commercial development and infrastructure that is functional, appealing, and will contribute to the Village’s competitive position.

Recommendations: • Create a vision for the community.

• Update the municipal code.

• Facilitate commercial development and redevelopment opportunities.

• Encourage environmentally sustainable retrofits and development.

Section One: Economic Growth

Section Three: Quality of Life

Goal:

Goal is:

Buffalo Grove will maintain, strengthen, and grow its businesses and employment, and continue to be a key employment center for the region.

Buffalo Grove will maintain and enhance services, amenities, resources, and partnerships to foster a vibrant, livable, and desirable community in which to live, work, and play.

Recommendations:

Recommendations:

• Improve communications and relations with current and potential businesses, owners, and the development community.

• Maintain and enhance the Village’s housing stock and market.

• Enhance support to local businesses.

• Preserve and enrich other aspects of the Village’s livability and quality of life.

• Broaden and enrich the labor pool for local businesses.

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• Improve accessibility to, from, and around the Village.

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Section One: Economic Growth

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Summary of Existing Conditions

Employment Base

Recently-released employment estimates indicate that the Village’s 2014 employment base is approximately 20,000 workers. This base is generally concentrated in five main industries: manufacturing; accommodation and food services; professional, scientific, and technical services; wholesale trade; and health care and social assistance.

Each of these five industries constitutes between 8% and 19% of the local employment base, and collectively accounts for 60% of the total (Table 1.1).

The Village’s strong business and industry is considered a key economic development strength among stakeholders.

Manufacturing With over 3,000 workers, manufacturing is the leading industry employer and economic “Manufacturing engine of the community. Major is the leading industrial companies such industry employer a s AbbVie and Flex have recently and economic established in Buffalo Grove and are engine of the providing economic benefits.

T o community” date, Flex and its customers have invested over $100 million in the Buffalo Grove facility and hired over 300 employees. The company, which was awarded the 2015 Lake County Manufacturer of the Year by the Alliance for Industry and Manufacturing, has plans for continued growth. In addition to these new businesses, existing manufacturers are beginning to expand. Growth in this industry is not exclusive to Buffalo Grove. The nation and region are experiencing a reemergence of the manufacturing industry as the economy continues to recover, the industry strengthens, and manufacturers reshore their production to the U.S.1

Buffalo Grove

Cook County

Lake County

Count

Percent

Percent

Percent

Manufacturing

3,278

19.1%

8.4%

16.2%

Accommodations and Food Services

2,158

12.6%

7.4%

5.9%

Professional, Scientific, and Technical

1,854

10.8%

8.5%

7.1%

Wholesale Trade

1,509

8.8%

4.8%

8.1%

Health Care & Social Assistance

1,500

8.7%

13.6%

10.5%

Educational Services

1,093

6.4%

9.8%

9.5%

Administration & Support, Waste Management & Remediation

1,056

6.2%

7.2%

6.8%

Retail Trade

1,005

5.9%

9.6%

14.1%

Finance and Insurance

977

5.7%

6.8%

4.7%

Construction

607

3.5%

2.6%

3.0%

Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation

407

2.4%

1.7%

2.3%

Transportation & Warehousing

374

2.2%

5.2%

1.6%

Other Services

348

2.0%

3.9%

2.6%

Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing

324

1.9%

1.7%

1.0%

Public Administration

324

1.9%

3.9%

2.5%

Information

170

1.0%

2.6%

1.6%

Management of Companies & Enterprises

91

0.5%

2.0%

2.0%

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, & Hunting

59

0.3%

0.0%

0.1%

Utilities

24

0.1%

0.3%

0.6%

TOTAL

17,159

100%

100%

100%

Source: Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics, U.S. Census Bureau.

Table 1.1 Employment by Industry Sector, 2011 1. Wial, Howard. Locating Chicago Manufacturing: The Geography of Production in Metropolitan Chicago. University of Illinois Chicago - Center for Urban Economic Development. 2013.

Sirkin, Harold, Zinser, Michale, and Rose, Justin. “How Illinois Can join Manufacturing’s Comeback” Crains’s Chicago Business, December, 2012.

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The Village has a particularly high concentration of advanced manufacturing, which refers to the emergence of high-tech products and processes in the manufacturing industry.

Unlike traditional low-skilled, labor-intensive manufacturing jobs and processes that are vulnerable to off-shoring or automation, advanced manufacturing relies on a highly-skilled workforce and complex techniques to create sophisticated products that are difficult to outsource.

Industry leaders believe that advanced manufacturing will be the key to the region’s economy in the 21st century.2 Nearly 40% of manufacturing firms in Buffalo Grove are classified as pharmacy/medical supply, computer/ electronics, and machinery (including transportation, electrical, commercial and industrial machinery), which are considered the top three subindustries in advanced manufacturing.3 The high concentration of these subindustries in Buffalo Grove is expected given the Village’s location between northern Cook County and Lake County.

The prevalence of manufacturing, especially advanced manufacturing, provides various economic benefits to the Village. Economists estimate that each manufacturing job creates between two and five additional jobs in related and unrelated industries.4 Moreover, advanced manufacturing workers are generally well-paid. According to EMSI’s Average Earnings by Industry, manufacturing employees in Buffalo Grove earned an average of $120,000 in 2014, which is 40% higher than the average annual earnings of all Buffalo Grove workers. These high earnings also have indirect economic benefits for the Village as workers also represent potential residents as well as customers for local eateries, retailers, and other commercial venues.

Chart 1.1 Manufacturing Firms by Subindustry in Buffalo Grove, 2014

Fabricated metals, 4%

Other, 16%

Paper/printing, 13%

Primary (metals, non metallic, petro/coal), 4%

Machinery*, 16% Chemicals and plastics, 7%

Food/Beverage, 8% Furniture and Apparel, 10%

Source: EMSI, Lake County Partners, CMAP, and Village of Buffalo Grove.

Computer/electronics*, 11%

Health Sciences*, 10%

*Top Three Subindustries in Advanced Manufacturing

2. CMAP, Metropolitan Chicago’s Manufacturing Cluster: A Drill-Down Report on Innovation, Workforce, and Infrastructure, 2013 3.CMAP, Metropolitan Chicago’s Manufacturing Cluster: A Drill-Down Report on Innovation, Workforce, and Infrastructure, 2013 4. CMAP, Metropolitan Chicago’s Manufacturing Cluster: A Drill-Down Report on Innovation, Workforce, and Infrastructure, 2013.

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Workforce Dynamics and Challenges The majority (80%) of the workers employed in Buffalo Grove commute from Cook and Lake Counties. Only 8.2% of workers are Buffalo Grove residents with approximately 20% of workers originating from DuPage County, McHenry County, or other counties in the region. Workers mainly commute by car and drive solo to work. However, a few utilize public transportation options including Metra and Pace Bus. A growing concern identified by outreach efforts and housing studies is a jobs-housing spatial mismatch in Buffalo Grove. This mismatch occurs when homes conducive to workers’ preferences are situated far from their employment centers. The jobs-housing mismatch appears to be a particular problem for the emerging

millennial workforce, who cannot find housing options conducive to their needs or prefer amenities, neighborhood characteristics, and housing types that “A growing concern a r e not traditionallyidentified by outreacho r consistently found efforts and housing i n suburban communities. studies is a jobsResearch indicates that housing spatial millennials highly value mismatch.” walkability; bicycle and public transportation accessibility; mixed-use, denser areas; and smaller housing units – both in square footage and in the number of bedrooms.5 In terms of tenure, studies show that this demographic is interested in renting, as well as homeownership.6 Another challenge, specific to the advanced manufacturing is the widening workforce gap. Advanced manufacturers are seeking highly-skilled and educated workers; however, lingering negative perceptions have discouraged talented students and workers from entering into the manufacturing industry. Industrial businesses, as well as office businesses in the Village, have expressed use for or interest in workforce development programs. Workers, residents, and employers in the Village have access to several workforce development programs but these programs are not well utilized. Workforce development specialists feel that the lack of awareness and utilization is a result of historically poor coordination and collaboration between workforce development providers and employers. However, current leaders are cognizant of these issues and are working to change the tide.

Outreach findings indicate that businesses desire stronger communications and relations with the Village. Until recently, the Village lacked a Community Development Department that can carry out such functions.

Photo Credit: Jobfairing.com 5. Nielsen, Millennials Breaking the Myths, 2014.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Urban Land Institute, Generation Y: America’s New Housing Wave, 2011.

6. Nielsen, Millennials Breaking the Myths, 2014.

Urban Land Institute, Generation Y: America’s New Housing Wave, 2011.

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Goal, Recommendations, and Action Steps Economic Growth Goal: Buffalo Grove will maintain, strengthen, and grow its businesses and employment, as well as continue to be a key employment center for the region.

Economic Growth Recommendation 1.

Improve communication and relations with current and potential businesses, owners, and the development community.

well as any other relevant news. Stakeholders can also provide feedback, voice concerns, network, and develop a good rapport with fellow businesses, brokers, the Chamber of Commerce, and Village staff.

Buffalo Grove should enhance communication and relations with the business and development community by developing a set of communication strategies that are consistent, structured, and diverse (newsletters, email, phone, social media and in-person). Strategies that retain these characteristics optimize the ability for all parties to exchange information, collaborate, and establish meaningful partnerships.

B. Network with businesses at Chamber of Commerce events. The Buffalo Grove-Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce provides programs, services, and networking opportunities for its members. Village staff should maintain its participation in major Chamber events such as monthly luncheons, board meetings, and the annual Business Connection Summit. Chamber activities provide a built-in platform for Village staff to communicate and grow relationships with local businesses.

Action Steps A. Develop regularly scheduled roundtable discussions. To increase collaboration, the Village should host economic development roundtable discussions and invite businesses, property owners, real estate brokers, and the Buffalo Grove-Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce (Chamber).

The meetings will provide an opportunity “The Village should for the Village to host economic discuss energy-efficiency development opportunities, local roundtable infrastructure projects, discussions.� workforce development programs, industry resources, county and regional initiatives, as

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

C. Create a business e-newsletter. In addition to hosting roundtable discussions and attending Chamber events, Village staff should also develop a periodic e-newsletter to all businesses in the Village. This type of outreach is advantageous because it ensures equal access to information, regardless of attendance at meetings or Chamber events. The e-newsletter can provide frequent updates about various programs, projects, and plans occurring in the Village and spotlight businesses as further discussed below.

D. Schedule on-site visits at businesses and brokerages.

On-site visits enable participants to achieve a superior level of engagement. Consequently, Village staff should visit and tour local businesses to further understand their operations and needs. Similarly, Village staff should schedule in-person meetings with

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commercial brokers. An ideal forum is the weekly internal office meetings held by commercial brokerages.

Many firms periodically invite municipal staff from various communities to attend such meetings and discuss available properties and the community’s vision for the future.

This “road show” can help advertise business and development opportunities in the Village, as well as Buffalo Grove’s proactive approach towards economic development. On-site visits at businesses or brokerages should be scheduled on an as-needed basis.

E. Enhance the Village’s Website. Websites have become an essential and universal communication tool in today’s digital age. Businesses, site selectors, developers, brokers, and other stakeholders utilize municipal websites to learn about economic development information such as a community’s demographics, economic profile, vacant spaces, development and redevelopment opportunities, and entitlement process.

Given the importance and “The Village widespread utility of this should look tool, the Village should to modernize look to modernize and and enhance enhance the economic the economic development-related developmentwebpages on the municipal related webpages website.

Specific focus on the municipal should be placed to the website.” organization, presentation, content accuracy, and completeness of this information.

F. Continue work on branding and campaign.

Branding and marketing communication strategies to help attract

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

and development. Although they work hand-in-hand, branding and marketing are distinct strategies. A brand represents an entity and is expressed through a combination of various elements such as a logo, font, color scheme, and/or other graphics. A brand’s main objective is to help establish an identity for the entity by which it can distinguish itself from others.

The Village is currently in the midst of a rebranding effort and should continue work on this project. A freshened logo, font, and color scheme across all department communications, signage, and community events will help foster a more modern and cohesive identity for the Village.

Once an updated brand is chosen, the Village should develop a marketing plan. Such a plan would detail strategies as to how the Village’s brand and other key information can be communicated to economic development players such as businesses, developers, brokers, media, as well as to realtors, schools, and current and potential residents.

Sample activities from this marketing plan could include: •

Participating in business media and targeted advertising such as: Crain’s Chicago Business Journal, Site Selection Magazine, etc.

•

Working with site selectors.

•

Engaging in partnerships with organizations such as the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the Urban Land Institute.

marketing are key businesses

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Economic Growth Recommendation 2.

Enhance support to local businesses.

The Village should continue to provide optimal customer service and support local businesses. Such efforts reinforce the Village’s commitment to the business community and ultimately minimize business turnover and optimize growth opportunities. The action steps below provide specific strategies to help the Village enhance its support to local businesses Action Steps A. Improve administrative forms and processes. The Village currently has an administrative process to gather information, licenses, and fees from businesses. This process has been incrementally improved over the years, however it can benefit from a more comprehensive review, which would aim to streamline the process.

Some specific improvements could include creating a basic process-flow handout for businesses; combining and re-writing business license, tenant and use, and other forms; and reorganizing staff and front counter space.

Processes can also be improved to offer more e-services via the Village’s website including online permits and licenses. These improvements can bolster the levels of efficiency and customer service provided by Village staff, the self-service capacity of businesses, and the quantity and quality of data and information collected from businesses. The enhanced data and information collected can help develop a more accurate profile of businesses in the community as well as highlight key trends.

B. Recognize businesses that are new, expanding, or are making a notable contribution to the community.

The Village can help recognize notable businesses through their existing communication channels such as

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the residential newsletter, proposed business e-newsletter, Village website, and other media.

This recognition could take the format of a “Business Spotlight� column, which would include a brief narrative and photos of the business.

C. Provide a welcoming package and schedule a meet and greet for new businesses. To celebrate, welcome, and cultivate a relationship with a new business, the Village should provide a welcoming package and meeting. The package should include things such as a welcome letter, list of available resources, and schedule of key dates for business licenses, permits, and other administrative activities. Staff should also coordinate a meet and greet with new businesses, Village staff, and Village officials.

D. Connect businesses with information and resources to meet their needs.

Businesses can benefit from resources for varying operational, development, workforce, business, and financial needs. The Village should serve as a conduit for these businesses and connect them with helpful resources to address these issues. Resources include programs and outreach offered by Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Lake County Partners, Lake County Workforce, and Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. The resources can also include non-profits such as B-Impact Assessments, SCORE, and the Buffalo Grove/Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce. Staff can help provide these resources at roundtable discussions, e-newsletters, meetings, welcome packages, as well as through regular communications with businesses.

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Economic Growth Recommendation 3.

Broaden and enrich the labor pool for local businesses.

Access to a talented and diverse employment base is critical for current and potential businesses. In fact, site selectors claim that access to highly-skilled labor is one of the top drivers in site-selection decisions. Optimizing the skills and size of the labor pool includes ensuring programs are in place to meet the changing demands of the evolving workplace and continuing to broaden the geographical and psychological boundaries of the workforce.

Action Steps A. Facilitate partnerships between workforce development providers and local businesses. As discussed above, office and industrial businesses in Buffalo Grove have an expressed interest and need for tailored workforce development programs and services.

The Village can help remedy these issues by facilitating partnerships between the Lake County Workforce, College of Lake County, Lake County Partners, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and local businesses.

Through enhanced communications with businesses, the Village can stay abreast of any need for workforce training and relay them to the appropriate provider as necessary.

At the same time, “The Village can facilitate the Village can partnerships between the help workforce Lake County Workforce, development College of Lake County, providers with Lake County Partners, their outreach Cook County Bureau of efforts and Economic Development, market any and local businesses.� a p p l i c a b l e programs.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

B. Work with local businesses (particularly manufacturing businesses) and high schools to foster awareness of advanced manufacturing career opportunities. To build enthusiasm for the manufacturing industry, the Village can work with local high schools and manufacturers to coordinate tours of advanced manufacturing facilities. These businesses can also present to high school classes and be integrated during career-day festivities. Such activities can be extended to various businesses outside of manufacturing, however given the demand for advanced manufacturing workers, an emphasis is placed on that particular industry.

C. Enhance workforce accessibility. should work with businesses and

The Village transportation

Photo Credit: College of Lake County

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providers to increase awareness and utilization of multiple transportation modes including trains, buses, cars and vans (solo and pooling), bicycles, and on foot.

Such initiatives can enhance employers’ access to the subregional labor pool. This is especially true of millennial workers who prefer to live in denser environments such as Chicago or the inner-ring suburbs.

One mode option is vanpooling. Vanpooling can provide convenient connections between residential areas, public transit stops, and/or business parks. Pace has three distinct vanpooling programs: Traditional Vanpool, Employer Shuttle, and Metra Feeder.

All three are described in the box to the right.

Another option to enhance accessibility is the development of a ridesharing program, which matches employees with similar origin and destinations such as residential areas or common transit stations. The Pace Ride Share website provides a free matching service.7 These types of programs should be communicated to the businesses by Village staff at roundtables and through the e-newsletters. Staff should also help facilitate conversations between interested businesses and Pace.

Other related activities include improving the commuter’s “last mile.” The last mile, refers to the final leg of the commute, which is normally from a transit station, bus stop, or dropoff point to the worker’s place of employment. As this leg is normally done on foot, the Village should pursue pedestrian improvements, which include sidewalk repairs, crosswalk installations, tree plantings, and additional bus shelters.

These pedestrian improvements effectively minimize the gap between transit service and the business destinations

that often deter employees from using public transportation regularly. A broader discussion of multimodal transportation is included in Section Three: Quality of Life.

Pace Vanpooling Programs The Traditional Vanpool program is designed for 5-13 employees who live and work in similar areas and have similar schedules. In this program, one of the participants is a primary driver of a Pace van and all riders pay a low monthly fare which covers the van maintenance fares and associated expenses.

In contrast, the Employer Shuttle program allows vans to be leased to an individual business or group of businesses for work-related passenger trips for a flat monthly fee.

Finally, the Metra Feeder program permits a Pace Van to be parked at a Metra Station near a work site enabling 5-13 participants to easily connect from the Metra Station to their worksite with a purchase of a Metra monthly pass or 10-ride ticket as well as flat monthly fee. It should be noted that Metra Feeders can be utilized at any Metra station including Buffalo Grove’s Metra Stations (Prairie View and Buffalo Grove) off the North Central Line, as well as stations off the Milwaukee District North, Union Pacific Northwest, Union Pacific North, and lines such as Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Lake Cook Road, Deerfield, and Braeside.

7 Pacebus.com

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Section Two: Land Use and Development

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Summary of Existing Conditions experiencing higher rents and new construction.11

Village-wide Conditions

As of 2015, Buffalo Grove had over 10 million square feet of commercial space and a vacancy rate of 7.7% (Table 2.1).8 The majority (63%) of commercial space is industrial and flex, followed by office (20%) and retail (17%). The distribution of space in Buffalo Grove slightly differs from the NorthCentral Submarket and the region, as these markets have proportionally less industrial and flex space and comparably more retail space than the Village.9 Table 2.1 Commercial Real Estate Square Footage and Vacancy by Type, 2015 North- Central Submarket*

Buffalo Grove

Chicago Metro Region

Total Rentable Building Area

Vacancy Rate

Total Rentable Building Area

Vacancy Rate

Total Rentable Building Area

Vacancy Rate

Industrial and Flex

6,551,527

3.4%

44,601,205

8.6%

1,171,019,362

7.8%

Office

2,093,054

16.6%

19,954,745

18.5%

465,117,297

13.9%

Retail

1,699,246

13.2%

22,376,030

9.7%

518,476,663

8.5%

Total

10,343,827

7.7%

86,931,980

11.0%

2,154,613,322

9.3%

*Includes Deer Park, Kildeer, Long Grove, Indian Creek, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, and Palatine.

Source: CoStar data and Village of Buffalo Grove.

Industrial and Flex Of all property types, industrial and flex has the lowest vacancy rate in Buffalo Grove (3.4%) as well as in the NorthCentral Submarket (8.6%) and the Chicago Metro Region (7.8%). Such rates, which were generally 5 to 7 percentage points higher across these geographic markets 5 years ago, indicate the strengthening of the industrial and flex market.

Experts attribute the positive trend to various factors such as the reemergence of manufacturing, pent-up demand for industrial space, and the recovering economy.10 As a result of the positive absorption, the industrial and flex market is

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Buffalo Grove’s particularly low industrial and flex vacancy rate is likely a result of its regional location. The Village’s location at the edge of both Cook and Lake Counties enables the community to access Cook County’s activity and Lake County’s tax structure.12 Moreover, the industrial and flex space is in generally good condition. The majority (64%) of the space is considered Class B, while 32% is considered Class C and 4% is classified Class A.13 Most of the properties are 25-30 years old and generally have 18-24 foot ceiling heights, which are deemed as low ceiling heights in today’s market.

Office Office space has the highest vacancy rate (16.6%) among the commercial property types in the Village as well as in the North-Central Submarket (18.4%), and the Chicago Metro Region (13.9%). Such rates reflect the market’s sluggish recovery after the economic downturn. Analysts report that the office market is tied to state and national employment and fiscal trends. Consequently, the state’s fiscal challenges 8.Commercial real estate refers to any real estate intended to generate revenues. For purposes of this analysis, commercial real estate will be classified into three main types: industrial and flex, office, and retail. Traditional industrial space is often considered to be a warehouse that is mostly utilized for manufacturing, 9..The North-Central Submarket includes the following communities: Deer Park, Kildeer, Long Grove, Indian Creek, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, and Palatine.

10.Ori, Ryan. “’Good old days’ return for industrial landlords. Crain’s Chicago Business. February 23, 2015.

Ori, Ryan, “ Here’s One Sign of a Strong Economy.” Crain’s Chicago Business. April 13, 2015.

Ori, Ryan. “Industrial Vacancy Falls to Lowest Level Since 2006.” Crain’s Chicago Business. July 21, 2014.

11. NAI Hiffman. “Industrial Market Review: First Quarter 2015.”

12. Cook County tax structure is disadvantageous for retail and industrial real estate. The county assesses retail and industrial properties at a higher percentage of market value than residential properties causing businesses to shoulder more of the property tax burden than residents. This tax structure has partially contributed to businesses relocating outside of Cook County, into neighboring counties, including Lake County.

13.Class rankings reflect the building size, structure, and operating systems in the market area. Classes A, B, and C imply that these characteristics are excellent, good, and fair-to-poor, respectively.

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and the relatively high unemployment rate posted in recent years have encouraged companies to operate conservatively and/or look elsewhere to establish their operations. Other factors influencing the market include the increased ratio of office space per employee, rise in telecommuting, and flight of office space from suburban communities to downtown Chicago.14 Most (58%) of the office space in Buffalo Grove is considered Class B, while 17% is considered Class A and 24% is Class C. Most of the buildings were built between 1985 and 1997. Almost all are 1-2 stories, however, a few are 3-5 stories and the two Riverwalk Office towers are each 12 stories tall.

Retail The retail vacancy rate in the Village is approximately 13.2% which is 224,710 square feet. Some of the vacancy in Buffalo Grove and in the greater region is attributable to the closing of Chicago-area Dominick’s grocery stores. The former Dominick’s stores in Cambridge Commons (35,000 square feet) and Chase Plaza (68,000 square feet) represent roughly 103,000 square feet of vacant space.

Excluding these two former Dominick’s stores, the retail vacancy rate is approximately 7%-8%.

Overall the national retail market is improving. However, analysts are noting that retail absorption is concentrated in the premier (top 10%-20%) centers and locations, while other retail centers are struggling.15 At the same time, e-commerce continues to gain momentum and today 6%7% of retail purchases are made via e-commerce.16 It should be noted however, that most consumers still prefer in-store shopping to procure staples, fill an immediate need or want,

and “touch and feel” merchandise.17 The “ A key trend in the retail rise of e-commerce market is a shift toward has contributed to experiential consumption.” the shrinking retail footprint and the greater mix of tenants in shopping centers. A final key trend in the retail market is a shift toward experiential consumption. Consequently, industry leaders are repositioning shopping centers away from the traditional retail format to a more integrated social gathering center. These centers focus on dining, entertainment, leisure, and other experiential activities.

Overall, the retail spaces in Buffalo Grove tend to be clustered in shopping centers along the major retail corridors. Furthermore, Buffalo Grove shopping centers are anchored by grocery stores with smaller centers oriented to service businesses. The Village’s retail centers contrast with the nearby anchor-oriented regional shopping centers such as Northbrook Court, Deer Park Mall, and Randhurst Village.

These regional centers are larger, draw from a regional population base, tend to have a more inward configuration, and provide a deeper variety of general merchandise and services.

14.CBRE. “Chicago Suburban Office MarketView Q1 2015.”

Heschmeyer, Mark. “Changing Office Trends Holds Major Implications for Future Office Demand.” CoStar. March 13, 2013.

Ori, Ryan. “Rents Keep Rising in Chicago’s Top Office Towers.” Crain’s Chicago Business. June 15, 2015.

15. Maidenberg, Micah. “Retail Landlords Gain, But Recovery ‘Not Lifting All Boats.’” Crain’s Chicago Business. February 9, 2015.

16. E-commerce includes all mobile or m-commerce, which are purchases made by tablets and mobile phones. Quarterly E-commerce Sales. U.S. Census Bureau News. May 15, 2015.

17. Shopping Centers: America’s First and Foremost Marketplace. International Council of Shopping Centers. 2014.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

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Retail Opportunities A preliminary retail market analysis found that the Buffalo Grove trade area has opportunities for retail growth. The trade area is currently experiencing a net sales leakage of $17.7 million. The greatest opportunities for retail growth are in specific retail categories as listed in Table 2.2.

More detailed information on the preliminary retail market analysis can be found in Appendix C: Market Assessment.

Table 2.2 Retail Growth Opportunities by Retail Category, 2015 Retail Category

Sample Retailers

Leakage

Goods Motor Vehicle & Parts Dealers

Carmax, Toyota, O’Reily Auto Parts

$399,180,000

Bldg Materials, Garden Equip. & Supply Stores

Lowe’s, Menards,Home Depot

$4,4840,000

Food & Beverage Stores

Jewel Osco, Sunset Foods, Trader Joe’s

$141,530,000*

Gasoline Stations

Speedway, Amoco, Mobil

$144,070,000

Clothing & Clothing Accessories Stores

Macy’s, Khol’s, Marshalls

$30,430,000

main typologies: industrial/office corridors, retail/commercial corridors, and mixed-use corridors. The Village does have some commercial development outside of the commercial corridors such as Woodland Commons (Half Day Road and Buffalo Grove Road), and Millbrook Business Center (Millbrook Drive and Half Day Road).

The major commercial corridors are listed below: • Northern Industrial/Office Corridor • Southern Industrial/Office Corridor • Dundee Retail/Commercial Corridor • Town Center Retail/Commercial Corridor • Lake-Cook Mixed-Use Corridor • Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor In addition to these commercial corridors there are two station areas: • Buffalo Grove Metra Station Area • Prairie View Metra Station Area

Dining Food Services and Drinking Places

Culvers, Olive Garden, Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Buffalo Wild Wings

$178,280,000

*Source appears to include sales from Domincks grocery stores, which have closed.

Source: ESRI Business Analyst and Buffalo Grove.

Subareas: Commercial Station Areas

Corridors

and

The Village’s key subareas include the commercial corridors and the station areas. The Village’s commercial corridors house most of the commercial real estate in the Village.

These commercial corridors can be classified by three

Both station areas were the subject of the Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study in 2007. This plan, which was never adopted, is currently used as a guide. The Buffalo Grove Metra Station Area is a part of the Northern Industrial/Office Corridor and is fairly built-out. The Prairie View Metra Station Area mostly consists of unincorporated property, however many property owners and developers have expressed interest in annexing into the Village and redeveloping this area.

The following map illustrates all the commercial corridors and station areas. The subsequent pages provide a deeper dive into the corridors and station areas with an overview of land uses, major tenants, square footage, and vacancy rates.18

18. All vacancies are noted are as of April, 22, 2015.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Page 21

Map Legend Economic Development Area

Praire View Metra Station Area

Half Day Rd

Mch

enr y

Rd

Arlington Heights Rd Lake-Cook Rd

Buffalo Grove Rd

Aptakisic Rd

Deerfield Pkwy

Buffalo Grove Subareas

Village Boundary

´

Commercial Corridors: • Northern Industrial/Office Corridor • Southern Industrial/Office Corridor • Dundee Retail/Commercial Corridor • Town Center Retail/Commercial Corridor • Lake-Cook Mixed-Use Corridor • Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor

Northern Industrial/Office Corridor and Buffalo Grove Metra Station Area

Station Areas: • Buffalo Grove Metra Station Area • Prairie View Metra Station Area

Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor

Lake-Cook Mixed-Use Corridor

Town Center Retail/Commercial Corridor

Southern Industrial/Office Corridor

Milw auk

0

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

ve ee A

Dundee Rd

Dundee Retail/Commercial Corridor

0.5

1

2 Miles

Page 22

Northern Industrial/Office Corridor + Buffalo Grove Metra Station Area

Map Legend

2 I

Buffalo Grove Metra Station

Single-Family Residential

Village Boundary

Multi-Family Residential

Vacant Land

Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste

Hydrology

• Primary industrial corridor in the Village.

• Includes the Buffalo Grove Metra Station.

• Example companies include: Siemens Industry, Flex, Schuletes Precision Manufacturing, Arxium (former Auto Med Technologies), and Belmont Trading Company.

LEIDER LN

INDUSTRIAL DR

Open Space

Industrial

Industrial and Flex Space -Approximately 4.7 million square feet.

-Vacancy Rate: 4.3%.

BA ASBURY DR

R

C

LA Y

-Corporate parks include: Abbott Business Center,

Aptakisic Creek Corporate Park, Rogers Center for

Commerce, Arbor Creek Business Center, the Corporate Grove, and Covington Corporate Center.

U KE

BL VD

E AV

WEILA

Retail, Entertainment, & Hotel

Agriculture

Institutional

A MILW

ABBOTT CT

ND RD

Unincorporated Limits

Office

E

CORPORATE GR OV

E DR

BUSCH PKWY

DEERFIELD PKWY

2 I DEERFIELD PKWY

0

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

0.175

0.35

´ 0.7 Miles

Page 23

Southern Industrial/Office Corridor • Mix of industrial and flex, and office space with some retail.

• Slight overlap with Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor • Example companies include: Yaskawa America Inc, Dow Chemical Company, and Banner Supply.

Office Space

-Approximately 1.6 million square feet.

-Approximately 825,000 square feet.

-Vacancy rate: 0.5%.

-Vacancy rate: 15.8%.

-Corporate parks include: Buffalo Grove Commerce Center, Chevy Chase Business Park West, and Chevy Chase

Business Park.

-Office complexes include: Chevy Chase East.

Riverwalk

and

Map Legend

W PAULINE AVE

BL VD

RIDGEWOOD LN

Multi-Family Residential

Industrial

Unincorporated Limits

Retail, Entertainment, & Hotel

Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste

Office

HASTINGS DR

EASTWOOD LN

DR HAS E

HO R

YC CHE V

ING

VE EA

TON

ARMSTRONG DR

DR

DR

Hydrology

E UK WA MIL

ON

ARMSTRONG DR

Vacant Land

Golf Course

NS JOH

AT IO

Village Boundary

HASTINGS DR

LEXINGTON DR

N HORATIO BLVD

Industrial and Flex Space:

LEX

JOHNSON DR LAKE COOK ROAD

LAKE COOK ROAD 0

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

0.175

0.35

0.7 Miles

´ Page 24

Dundee Retail/Commercial Corridor • Various “highway-oriented” retail uses as well as a mix of other uses.

• Example retailers include: Aldi, Sam Ash Music Store, Discovery Clothing, O’Riley Auto Parts, Rogan Shoes, Garden Fresh Market, First Midwest Bank, and Walgreens.

Retail space -Approximately 625,600 square feet.

-Vacancy rate: 7%.

-Shopping centers include: Plaza at Buffalo Grove, Stratmore Square, Plaza Verde, Grove Court, Village Plaza and Cambridge Commons.

EST ATE

DR

Map Legend

ROSE BLVD ROSE BLVD

Village Boundary Unincorporated Limits

Single-Family Residential

Office

Open Space

Multi-Family Residential

Institutional

Vacant Land

Retail, Entertainment, GOLFVIEW TER & Hotel

Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste

S NAVAJO TRL

HAPPFIELD DR

W CAMPUS DR

SAXON PL

LAKE BLVD

W BOEGER DR

W DUNDEE RD

ELLEN DR

N BETTY DR

W DUNDEE RD

VERNON LN

VILLA VERDE DR

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS RD

TRACE DR

ELD DR

´

UNIVERSITY DR XW BO Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

N DL OO

0

0.275

0.55

1.1 Miles

Page 25

Town Center Retail/Commercial Corridor •

•

2 I

Generally retail and commercial uses that are anchored by the Town Center development.

MC

HE

Example Retailers include: Brunswick, Binny’s Beverage Depot, Buffalo Grove Theatre, Jewel-Osco, Blue Swim School, Walgreens, Supercuts, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, and Deerfield Bakery.

Single-Family Residential

Transportation_...

Multi-Family Residential

Village Boundary

NR Y

Unincorporated Limits

RD

Retail, Entertainment, & Hotel Office

Institutional Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste Open Space Vacant Land Hydrology

Retail space -Approximately 376,000 square feet.

-Vacancy rate: 8.2%.

-Shopping centers include: Town Center, The Grove, Buffalo Grove Shoppes.

BANK LN

MC H E N

OLD CHECKER RD

RY RD

N BU OV

OK RD

RD

GR

O LAKE C

RD

EI L A

E

ND

RD

O

H

AL FF

CH

C UR

´ 0

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

0.075

0.15

NW

Map Legend Buffalo Grove Metra Station

0.3 Miles

Page 26

Office space:

Lake-Cook Mixed-Use Corridor

-Approximately 572,000 square feet.

• Mix of office, retail, institutional, and Buffalo Grove Golf Course

• Example office users and retailers: NorthShore University Health, Templar Trading, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, Wyndham Garden Hotel, Countyline Tavern, Premier Eye Care and Surgery, and PNC Bank.

-Vacancy rate: 23%.

-Corporate parks include: Buffalo Grove Business Park.

Retail space -Approximately 103,000 square feet.

-Vacancy rate: 67%.

-Major shopping center: Chase Plaza.

Map Legend

Unincorporated Limits

Office

OLD C

CT

HE CK

ER R

Institutional

Open Space

Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste

Golf Course

D

AUBURN LN

R RD

RD

GR

H

O OV E

CH

C UR

L FA

WE I D NE

F BU RD

LAKE COOK RD

IDN

ER

RD

N ARLINGTON HEIGHTS RD

AUBURN LN ND A HL AS

Village Boundary

Retail, Entertainment, & Hotel

WE UN

LN

0

0.125

0.25

0.5 Miles

´

IG

H

LA

CO

Y TR

VD BL

AV E

P

ND

UP

W BRAMPTON LN

LAKE COOK RD

RA

WHITEHALL DR WHITEHALL DR

N

H

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Page 27

A MILW

Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor

Map Legend

• Mainly retail properties (Mi Mexico restaurant, Speedway gas station, and Grill on the Rock restaurant), as well as residential, industrial, and vacant properties.

UKEE

Village Boundary Unincorporated Limits

AVE

• Fragmented corridor. Properties are in Buffalo Grove, Riverwoods, and unincorporated Lake County.

Single-Family Residential Multi-Family Residential

• Approx 110 acres of vacant land within the Buffalo Grove Village limits.

• Much of the area lacks a unified development approach and was improved under Lake County’s regulations in a piecemeal manner. This area also lacks utilities and has challenges associated with floodplain.

Retail, Entertainment, & Hotel

BUSCH PKWY

Office

• Some overlap with Southern Industrial/Office Corridor.

Industrial Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste

DEERFIELD PKWY

Open Space Vacant Land Hydrology

RI VE RW AL

LINDEN AVE LAKE COOK RD 0

0.175

0.35

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

0.7 Miles

K

DR

´ Page 28

Prairie View Metra Station Area • Mostly in unincorporated Lake County.

• Exhibits two distinct types of development patterns: rural, hamlet (mainly unincorporated) and suburban development (incorporated Buffalo Grove).

• Land uses within the Village are generally residential (Noah’s Landing, Easton Townhomes, with a mix of other uses such as retail (Prairie House Tavern), institutional (Sunrise of Buffalo Grove) and vacant land.

NE

ORCHARD LN

NL SLY RO

2 I

Unincorporated Limits

Transportation, Communications, Utilities, & Waste

N YO PIN

N

E PIN

E CT N PIN

1ST ST

´

ST AIN

NDG HS L NOA

IE AIR PR

N EASTON AVE

Village Boundary

2 I NM

RD

TAYLOR CT

R LO Y TA

CT

HALF DAY RD 0.2 Miles

N PRAIRIE RD

0.1

Vacant Land

Retail, Entertainment, & Hotel

W BROCKMAN AVE

S CT 0.05

Under Construction

Office

HALF DAY RD

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Single-Family Residential

Institutional

W EASTON AVE

0

Praire View Metra Station

Page 29

R

O PINY

PARK AVE

Map Legend

APPLE HILL LN

• Unincorporated land uses are generally residential, industrial, and some commercial.

N PRAIRIE RD

• Developers have expressed interest in investing in this area.

• Served by the existing Prairie View Metra station on the North Central line. It is also within walking distance to Stevenson High School.

Goal, Recommendations, and Action Steps Land Use and Development Goal: Buffalo Grove will sustain and grow its economic base with new, redeveloped, improved, and maintained commercial development that is functional, appealing, and contributes to the village’s competitive position.

Land Use and Development Recommendation 1.

Create a vision for the community.

The visioning process is a key part of local planning and economic development. This process empowers residents, businesses, elected officials, and other stakeholders to paint a picture of their community’s future landscape. Once established, these visions become the foundation to guide development, land use decisions, and related policies. The following action steps represent visioning projects for Buffalo Grove to undertake.

Action Steps A. Update the Comprehensive Plan. The Village’s current Comprehensive Plan was drafted in 2009 and outlines the long-term vision for the community over a 10-15 year period. The plan broadly covers transportation, land use, natural resources, housing, economic development, community design, and other elements in the Village.

The 2009 Comprehensive Plan is nearing the end of its shelf life. Furthermore, the current plan does not provide long-term strategies and recommendations.

Comprehensive plans should be re-evaluated and/or updated every 5-10 years so that it can stay current with long-term trends. Consequently, Buffalo Grove should update its Comprehensive Plan prior to 2020.

defined vision for each of the commercial corridors “Subareas of and station areas.

These immediate focus areas represent the building should include blocks to the community’s the Lake Cook economic future and Road Corridor a more specific vision and Prairie View is necessary to guide Station Area.” the development and redevelopment of these areas. Unlike the Comprehensive Plan, which is a longterm project, the subarea plans are more time sensitive and should be considered a high priority given the immediate interests by developers to invest in these areas. Subareas of immediate focus include the LakeCook Mixed-Use Corridor and Prairie View Metra Station Area.

The vision for the subareas should promote development that is appropriate to the context of the surrounding area and development. Such discussions should also evaluate which, if any, subarea should become a central business district (CBD). Many stakeholders expressed a desire for a CBD in Buffalo Grove. Many noted that central business districts help foster a sense of identify, community character, and place. Moreover, such a center can generate economic activity.

B. Develop a vision for subareas and consider creating a central business district. To complement the Comprehensive Plan, Buffalo Grove should create a Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Page 30

Various resources are available to help in the visioning process. The Village should utilize the 2007 Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study as a base for visioning the station areas. This study should be revisited as it provides useful concepts and plans. Other resources include the Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panel (ULI TAP), Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), and consultants.

C. Evaluate opportunities to expand municipal boundaries. Several hundred acres of unincorporated land are dispersed in various locations within and adjacent to the Village. These unincorporated properties are potential opportunities to bolster the Village’s tax base. Some of the unincorporated areas have been designated to the future jurisdiction of Lincolnshire or Buffalo Grove via the Boundary and Planning Agreement, while others are not tied to any agreements.

The Village should evaluate opportunities to continue to annex properties where appropriate. Specific focus should be paid to the Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor and the Prairie View Metra Station Area as several property owners in these subareas have expressed interest in annexation. The study’s findings, along with the Village’s vision for areas and property owners’ interest in annexation, would all factor into annexation phasing and implementation.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Land Use and Development Recommendation 2.

Update the Buffalo Grove Municipal Code.

The Buffalo Grove Municipal Code (Code) contains various regulations that govern the physical development of the Village. Currently, the Code follows a traditional organizational format with land use, development, and zoning regulations separated in various documents. This type of organization can create disjointed, duplicative, and sometimes even conflictive regulations that are cumbersome to understand and enforce. Moreover, the Code’s content should be updated to reflect the ideas presented in the existing or upcoming community plans as well as current regional building and development standards. The following action steps look at both streamlining and updating the Code.

Action Steps A. Consider developing a unified development ordinance.

A unified development ordinance (UDO) combines various sets of development regulations into a consolidated document.

This “A unified development type of organization ordinance (UDO) enhances the clarity, combines various consistency, and sets of development coordination of the regulations into regulations.

For a consolidated example, terms used document.” throughout the Code can be defined once rather than multiple times in various sections. Similarly the authority of the Planning and Zoning Commission can be discussed in one place rather than separately in the Zoning Code, Development Code, and Floodplain Regulations Sections. Consequently, the Village should explore creating a UDO.

Page 31

B. Update the Zoning Code to reflect visions. The Village’s Zoning Code should implement a community’s plans. Consequently, the Village should update the structure and content of the Zoning Code so that it aligns with objectives set forth in the Comprehensive Plan and future subarea plans. The Village should also explore a form based code as part of its evaluation.

C. Revise the Sign Code. The Village of Buffalo Grove’s Sign Code has been noted by stakeholders and staff to be convoluted and outdated. Staff should research and explore best practices for modern signage in terms of both content and process. Once this analysis has been completed, staff should work to implement them into the code. Updating the sign code can help provide clarity, streamline the process, and potentially reduce the number of variations requested.

D. Modernize other sections of the Buffalo Grove Municipal Code as needed. In addition to the Zoning Code, other sections of the Code should be updated.

The Village is currently updating the Floodplain Regulations section of the Code so it aligns with both Lake County and Cook County standards. The Village should continue such efforts and then examine the Code’s Building and Construction section. Currently, this section adopts the 2006 International Building Code (IBC) by reference; however, more recent IBCs are available and should be considered for adoption.

Land Use and Development Recommendation 3.

Facilitate commercial development and redevelopment opportunities.

The Village should actively facilitate development and redevelopment opportunities to help implement visions laid out in community plans. Specific actions include profiling properties, streamlining the entitlement process, and providing economic development incentives as needed.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Action Steps A. Create and update an inventory of commercial properties. The Village should utilize data sources such as Co-Star, along with information from brokers as well as property owners to create and maintain a commercial properties inventory. In this inventory, the Village can classify and analyze properties based on condition, age, size, ownership, and when possible, the owner’s future plans for the land.

Such a tool could help identify, organize, prioritize, and communicate future development opportunities. The inventory should be established within a database as well as displayed visually on a map. Appropriate data and information should also be displayed on the website for site selectors and brokers.

The inventory should be updated on an as-needed basis.

B. Continue to refine Buffalo Grove’s planning, development, and permit processes. The length of time required for a development project to progress from application to breaking ground is a key factor in economic development. The Village has already taken meaningful steps to streamline this process. For example, Buffalo Grove recently combined the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Plan Commission as well as streamlined the Appearance Review Committee approvals.

The Village should continue to explore opportunities to simplify, clarify, and streamline the entitlement process.

This can be done by updating, organizing, coordinating, and enhancing materials for developers. These materials include applications, workflow diagrams, Planning and Zoning Commission timelines, The Village Code, and the zoning map. In addition, the Village should continue to evaluate internal processes and operations in receiving and reviewing plans.

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Commonly Used Local Economic Development Incentives For Specific Sites or Multi-Site Districts

C. Continue to offer site-specific economic development incentives, while exploring opportunities to offer economic development incentives for multi-site districts.

Sometimes specific sites or multisite areas have development challenges that require incentives to encourage development due to the gap between expenses and the rate of return. The Village of Buffalo Grove has faced such situations and implemented economic development incentives for specific sties.

These incentives have been in the form of shared sales tax agreements and include Connexion as well as Bob Rohrman Pre-Owned Superstore.

The Village should continue to explore the use of incentive agreements when warranted to fill potential financial gaps.

In addition, the Village should explore opportunities to offer incentives to multi-site districts, which can create a more coordinated and connected development or redevelopment area.

Economic incentives should be offered if such incentives lead to robust economic benefits. These benefits may include but are not limited to: strengthening the Village’s tax base, creating jobs, and stimulating new development. The box on the right provides an overview of commonly used local economic development incentives.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Tax increment finance districts (TIFs) are a development tool that generate a pool of money that is used for reinvestment within the TIF area. This pool of money is created by “freezing” the assessed value of a property when a TIF district is created. The Village, county, township, school districts, and other local governments continue to collect property taxes based upon the frozen assessed value. Any increase in the property’s assessed value generates the TIF increment, which is then available for projects within the TIF district. TIF dollars can be used for public infrastructure, land assemblage, streetscape and environmental cleanup. TIF funds can be front-loaded or pay as you go.

Special Service Area (SSA)/Special Assessments A special service area (SSA) refers to additional, minor property taxes that are levied on a defined geographic area to fund additional services and/or physical improvements for that area. Typical services or physical improvements funded by SSAs include enhancements for streetscapes, commercial façades, enhanced snow and trash removal, marketing, and special events. SSAs have been successfully used by the Village to help facilitate office and retail development by Hamilton Partners at the northeast corner of Lake-Cook Road and Arlington Heights Road. Similar to SSAs are special assessments. Municipalities can levy special assessments to pay for the construction of local public improvements such as roadways and infrastructure.

Business Districts A municipality can create a business district to implement improvements to that specific area.

These improvements can include a variety of development activities such as plan preparation, land assembly, infrastructure, building rehabilitation or construction, and financing costs. To fund the business district, the Village would create a business district plan that outlines a budget for the district and may then levy an additional sales tax of up to 1.0% to pay for improvements.

Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) Industrial Revenue Bonds are tax exempt bonds issued on behalf of businesses that can be used to finance the acquisition of fixed assets such as land, buildings, or equipment as well as renovation and new construction. A wide variety of businesses, including nontraditional industrial businesses such as printing firms, qualify under the IRB guidelines. The Village of Buffalo Grove hosts the clearinghouse pool on behalf of Lake County Partners where this program is promoted and regularly utilized.

Property Tax Abatements Property tax abatements are agreements in which a taxing district or districts communities abate a portion of real estate tax on certain types of property. Property tax abatements may be used to encouraged a business to establish, rehabilitate, or expand within the municipality.

Sales Tax Rebate Agreements Sales tax rebates are incentives where the Village offers to rebate a portion of sales taxes generated from the businesses back to the business or the developer for improvements on the property.

It is important to ensure that safeguards are in place when considering revenue sharing agreements. These safeguards may include: minimal upfront exposure, rebates are not paid until sales revenue is generated, caps are placed on total dollars to be paid, recapture provisions are in place to assess certain penalties if a business closes or relocates elsewhere.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Revolving Loan Fund A Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) provides financial support and assistance to new or expanding businesses through the use of low-interest loans for construction, property rehabilitation and land acquisition. Typically, a RLF is established through a grant or one-time dollars set aside for the central fund. A RLF gets its name from the revolving aspect of the loan repayment, where the Page 33 central fund is replenished as individual projects pay back their loans, creating the opportunity to issue more loans to new projects.

Land Use and Development Recommendation 4.

Encourage environmentally sustainable retrofits and development.

Photo Credit: University of Minnesota

Efforts to improve the environmental sustainability of existing and proposed buildings equate to long-term cost savings for building users and tenants. Moreover, such improvements help the Village’s commercial development remain competitive in the market. The following action steps address these issues.

Action Steps

“Improving a A. Promote energy efficiency facility’s energyprograms.

Improving a efficiency is facility’s energy-efficiency a universally is a universally sought sought improvement as it reduces improvement” energy, consumption, and costs.

The Village should lead this effort by helping businesses navigate through steps to improve their energy efficiency and utilization of renewable energy.

As part of this process, the Village should continue and enhance its relationships with utility providers and other energy efficient partners and connect them with businesses. For example, the Village can work with ComEd to promote its Smart Ideas Energy Efficiency Program. This program aims to help large businesses reduce their lighting use by more than 50% with a lighting control system.

B. Establish sustainable standards. The Village of Buffalo Grove can also encourage sustainable development by adopting standards and incentives that incorporate green building concepts into both existing and new structures.

Village staff should lead discussions with the Planning and Zoning Commission, Village Board, and public that explore creating voluntary or incentive-based programs to achieve sustainable buildings.

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Section Three: Quality of Life

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Summary of Existing Conditions Table 3.2. Estimated Housing Units, 2013

Demographics Per U.S. Census data, Buffalo Grove’s population is almost 42,000. The Village’s average household size of 2.57 is slightly lower than Cook County, and significantly smaller than Lake County, as shown in Table 3.1 below. Between 2000 and 2013, the Village’s population slightly decreased by 3%, which is comparable to the population decline in Cook County (-3%) but contrasts with the population increase in Lake County (9%).

Table 3.1 Estimated Population, Households, and Household Size, 2013 Buffalo Grove

Cook County

Lake County

Population

41,663

5,212,372

702,099

Households

16,167

1,933,335

241,072

2.57

2.60

2.82

Average Household Size

Source: 2009-13 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Buffalo Grove

Cook County

Lake County

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Single-family*

11,599

69.6%

988,629

45.8%

205,475

80.4%

Multi-family (2 units or more)

5,065

30.4%

1,171,866

54.2%

50,124

19.6%

Total Housing Units**

16,664

100.0%

2,160,495

100.0%

255,599

100.0%

*Includes attached and detached single family **Total, excluding mobile, boat, RV, van, etc Source: 2009-13 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Table 3.3. Estimated Housing Occupancy and Tenure, 2013 Buffalo Grove

Occupied Vacant Total Housing Units*

Cook County

Lake County

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

16,167

97.0%

1,933,335

89.5%

241,072

94.3%

497

3.0%

227,160

10.5%

14,527

6.0%

16,664

100.0%

2,160,495

100.0%

255,599

94.3%

*Total, excluding mobile, boat, RV, van, etc

Housing Units

Source: 2009-13 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Approximately 16,700 housing units occupy the residential areas in Buffalo Grove. The Census reports that 70% or 11,600 units are single-family homes. As of 2013, the Village has a low residential vacancy rate of 3%, which is lower than Cook County and Lake County’s rates of 11.7% and 6.0%, respectively.

Among the Village’s occupied units, approximately 81% are owner occupied while the remaining 19% are renter-occupied properties. The high rate of owneroccupied units is understandable given the dominance of single-family homes.

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Educational Attainment, Employment, and Income Overall, Buffalo Grove residents are highly“On a whole, educated, white-collar household families. Nearly all (97%) incomes in Buffalo of Buffalo Grove residents Grove exceed that have a high school diploma of Lake and Cook and the majority (64%) Counties” have a bachelor’s degree.

These rates of educational attainment are higher than that of Cook and Lake Counties.

According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Buffalo Grove had an unemployment rate of 5.3% in 2014.

The leading source of work for Buffalo Grove residents is educational services, health care, and social assistance as they employ 21.2% of residents.

Other major industries include professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services.

On the whole, household incomes in Buffalo Grove significantly exceed that of Lake and Cook Counties. The median household income in Buffalo Grove is $94,391 while Cook County and Lake County have median household incomes of $55,548 and $77,649, respectively. Approximately 47% of households in Buffalo Grove earn over $100,000, whereas 24%-39% of households in Lake County and Cook County fall within that bracket.

Table 3.4 Estimated Educational , 2013 Buffalo Grove

Cook County

Lake County

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Population, 25 years and over

29,432

N/A

3,484,571

N/A

448,708

N/A

High school diploma or higher

28,435

96.6%

2,943,216

84.5%

398,815

88.9%

Bachelor's degree or higher

18,362

62.4%

1,208,856

34.7%

188,068

41.9%

Source: 2009-13 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

Table 3.5 Estimated Household Income, 2013 Buffalo Grove

Cook County

Lake County

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Count

Percent

Less than $25,000

1,730

10.7%

462,067

23.9%

33,268

13.8%

$25,000 to $49,999

2,409

14.9%

435,000

22.5%

43,393

18.0%

$50,000 to $74,999

2,215

13.7%

332,534

17.2%

39,777

16.5%

$75,000 to $99,999

2,280

14.1%

233,934

12.1%

32,063

13.3%

$100,000 to $149,000

3,654

22.6%

253,267

13.1%

42,188

17.5%

$150,000 and over

3,880

24.0%

216,534

11.2%

50,384

20.9%

Total Households

16,167

100.0%

1,933,335

100.0%

241,072

100.0%

Median Household Income

$94,391

$54,548

$77,469

Source: 2009-13 American Community Survey, U.S. Census Bureau

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Community Character and Quality of Life Photo Credit: Stevenson High School

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Buffalo Grove has several great amenities that contribute to its rich quality of life and community character. Amongst these amenities are the schools, parks, and police and fire services.

Stevenson High School and Buffalo Grove High School are top rated schools in the state.

Since 2013, Buffalo Grove has received a number of awards that recognize the community as a great place to live, work, and raise a family. These awards include: •

The 46th Best Place to Live in the US by Money Magazine, the only Illinois community recognized;

•

The 20th safest community in the United States and the 2nd safest in Illinois;

•

The 7th most family-friendly community in Illinois and;

•

Best Chicago suburbs for young professionals.

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Goal, Recommendations, and Action Steps Quality of Life Goal: Buffalo Grove will maintain and enhance services, amenities, resources, and partnerships to foster a vibrant, livable, and desirable community in which to live, work, and play.

Quality of Life Recommendation 1.

Maintain and enhance the Village’s housing stock and market.

The Village’s residential areas are an important element to the community. They contribute to the Village’s tax-base as well as its identity as a family-friendly community. The following action steps look to maintain and enhance the Village’s housing market so it can thrive in the future.

Action Steps A. Diversify housing stock. Although the Village’s housing stock is in great condition, it is limited in options and generally appeals to families. Consequently, the Village should look to diversify its housing stock so that it includes floorplans, bedrooms, square footages, densities, amenities, and tenure that are suitable for a wider population. This wider population includes millennials, empty-nesters, and young families.

Moving forward, the Village staff, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Village Board should examine residential development and redevelopment plans within this housing framework. Such efforts can help address specific concerns such as the jobs-housing spatial mismatch and empty-nester migration outside of Buffalo Grove in pursuit of downsizing.

(NSHC). NSHC was formed in 2011 as part of an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Village of Arlington Heights, Village of Mount Prospect, Village of Palatine, and City of Rolling Meadows. NSHC focuses on housing issues on a subregional scale. In 2015, Buffalo Grove renewed its IGA agreement with the NSHC for five additional years. During this time period, NSHC will specially explore preserving and increasing senior housing, address aging multi-family properties, encourage energy-efficiency housing and retrofits, as well as expanding housing opportunities to address the needs of growing demographic sectors.

The Village should continue to participate in NSHC to complement the Village’s more local housing initiatives.

Sub-regional coordination offers an economy of scale advantage for program development and implementation as well as optimizes opportunities to leverage investment from public and private partners.

B. Continue to participate with the Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative. The Village of Buffalo Grove has been and continues to be a part of the Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative

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Quality of Life Recommendation 2.

Improve accessibility to, from, and around the Village.

Overall accessibility is critical to Buffalo Grove’s long-term viability. Currently, the Village is served by a strong system of roads as well as transit, pedestrian, and bicycle infrastructure.

Improving the intra- and inter-connectivity of the Village’s transportation system can help bolster economic development opportunities for Buffalo Grove.

Action Steps A. Maintain and improve multimodal infrastructure. The Village should continue to focus on initiatives that support multimodal transportation.

These types of efforts can help reduce automobile congestion, wear on roadways, and air pollution; as well as increase the Village’s active transportation options and vibrancy. The Village can help maintain and improve multimodal infrastructure by implementing the 2014 Buffalo Grove Bicycle Plan, enhancing way-finding signage, as well as ensuring new developments provide adequate pedestrian, bicycle, and road connections to current networks. Focus should be placed on natural gathering centers such as the Metra stations and shopping centers. This recommendation is closely aligned with the “Enhance workforce accessibility” action step under the “Economic Growth Recommendation 3: Broaden and enrich the labor pool for local businesses.”

B. Participate in regional transportation projects.

Regional transportation projects in and around Buffalo Grove affect the Village’s direction and potential for growth. Consequently, the Village should continue to participate in regional projects such as the Lake-Cook Road expansion, Route 53/120 project, and Buffalo Grove Road extension. Such participation can ensure that the Village’s ideas and concerns are being represented in key decisions regarding such regional projects.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Quality of Life Recommendation 3.

Preserve and enrich other aspects of the Village’s livability and quality of life.

In addition to housing and transportation, the Village’s livability and quality of life is affected by various elements including, but not limited to, market and demographic trends, regional projects, local partnerships, parks and open space, schools, and safety services. Understanding these elements and their relationships to the community can help position the Village for economic sustainability.

Action Steps A. Keep abreast of local and regional trends.

To help optimize the Village’s role as a proactive community, Village staff should monitor local and regional trends, projects, and programs.

Such monitoring can help the Village gain a deeper understanding of key dynamics affecting the community.

Current trends include the growing millennial demographic, aging-in-place initiatives, emergence of special uses in industrial districts, and environmental sustainability. Village staff should explore these trends as well as other projects and programs with the Planning and Zoning Commission and Village Board.

Staff should also provide appropriate recommendations.

B. Maintain partnerships and services.

Buffalo Grove should maintain its partnerships with the Chamber, Buffalo Grove Park District, neighboring communities, school districts, Lake and Cook Counties, regional agencies, foundations, and non-profits.

These partnerships help maximize opportunities for collaboration and in turn, cost efficiencies. At the same time, the Village should maintain its high level of safety, building enforcement, and other government services for residents and businesses.

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Section Four: Implementation Matrix

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Plan Implementation The Implementation Matrix is intended to initiate and complete the key recommendations and actions in the Economic Development Strategic Plan.

The following table provides a quick reference summary of the many policy and program recommendations for Village staff, elected officials, and stakeholders.

Each year, Village staff will develop a more specific work plan to identify which recommendations and action steps will be undertaken for the upcoming year. This work plan shall be developed in conjunction with the Village’s annual budgeting process, which establishes Village-wide goals for the upcoming calendar year.

The Village Board will have the ultimate authority on the Plan’s implementation; however, the Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) should be the main body to oversee the Plan’s implementation actions. As the PZC explores many of the economic, market, planning, and development issues, trends, and regulations relevant to the Plan, this body is well-suited to guide such steps.

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Economic Growth Goal: Buffalo Grove will maintain, strengthen, and grow its businesses employment, and continue to be a key employment center for the region.

Recommendation

Action Steps

and

Description

A. Develop regularly scheduled roundtable Host economic development roundtable discussions and invite businesses, property owners, real estate brokers, and discussions. the Chamber.

1. Improve communications and relations with current and potential businesses, owners, and the development community.

2. Enhance support to local businesses.

3. Broaden and enrich the labor pool for local businesses.

B. Network with businesses at Chamber events.

Continue to be an active member with the Chamber. Attend monthly luncheons, board meetings, and the annual Business Connection Summit.

C. Create a business e-newsletter.

Develop a periodic e-newsletter to all businesses in the Village. The e-newsletter can provide frequent updates of the various programs, projects, and plans occurring in the Village.

D. Schedule on-site visits at businesses and brokerages.

Conduct business visits to further understand their operations and needs. Develop and implement a commercial brokerage “road show” to help advertise business and development opportunities in the Village as well as its proactive approach towards economic development.

E. Enhance Village’s Website. (economic development-related pages)

Look to modernize and enhance the economic development-related webpages on the municipal website. The following key information should be included; community demographics, economic profile, vacant spaces, development and redevelopment opportunities, and entitlement process.

F. Continue to work on the branding and marketing campaign.

Continue to work on the rebranding effort and then develop a marketing plan.

A. Improve administrative forms and processes.

Enhance applications as well as license and tenant and use forms. Develop a process-flow handout for businesses.

B. Recognize businesses that are new, expanding, or are making a notable contribution to the community.

Enhance communications through the resident newsletter and proposed business e-newsletter to better promote new, expanding, and notable Buffalo Grove businesses.

C. Provide a welcoming package and schedule a meet and greet for new businesses

Create a welcoming package, which could include a welcome letter, list of available resources, and schedule of key dates for business licenses, permits, and other administrative information.

D. Connect businesses with information and resources to meet their needs.

Develop a comprehensive list of business resources offered by Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Lake County Partners, Lake County Workforce, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, B-Impact Assessments, SCORE, and the Chamber.

A. Facilitate partnerships between the workforce development providers and local businesses

The Village can help facilitate partnerships between the Lake County Workforce, College of Lake County, Lake County Partners, Cook County Bureau of Economic Development, and local businesses.

B. Work with local businesses (particularly manufacturing businesses) and high schools to foster awareness of advanced manufacturing career opportunities.

The Village can work with the local high schools and manufacturers to coordinate tours of advanced manufacturing facilities. These businesses can also present to high school classes and be integrated during career-day festivities.

C. Enhance workforce accessibility

The Village should work with businesses and transportation partners to optimize the awareness of various transportation options, which could include the trains, buses, cars and vans (solo and pooling), bicycles, and on foot.

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Land Use and Development Goal: Buffalo Grove will sustain and grow its economic base with new, redeveloped, improved, and maintained commercial development that is functional, appealing, and contributes to the Village’s competitive position.

Recommendation

1. Create a vision for community.

2. Update the Buffalo Grove Municipal Code.

3. Facilitate commercial development and redevelopment opportunities.

4. Encourage environmentally sustainable retrofits and development.

Action Steps

Description

A. Update the Comprehensive Plan.

Update the Comprehensive Plan before 2020.

B. Develop a vision for subareas and consider creating a central business district.

Create a defined vision for each of the commercial corridors and station areas. Such discussions should also evaluate which, if any, subarea should become a central business district. Areas of immediate focus should include the Lake-Cook Mixed-Use Corridor and Prairie View Metra Station Area.

C. Evaluate opportunities to expand municipal boundaries.

Evaluate opportunities to continue to annex properties where appropriate. Specific focus should be paid to Milwaukee Mixed-Use Corridor and Prairie View Metra Station Area. The study’s findings of the impacts, along with the Village’s vision for areas, and property owners’ interest in annexation, would all factor into annexation phasing and implementation.

A. Consider developing a Unified Development Ordinance.

Explore creating a unified development ordinance (UDO), which combines various sets of development regulations into a consolidated document. This type of organization enhances clarity, consistency, and coordination of the regulations.

B. Update Zoning Code to reflect visions.

Update the structure and content of the Zoning Code so that it aligns with objectives set forth in the Comprehensive Plan and future subarea plans.

C. Revise the Sign Code.

Modernize and streamline the Sign Code.

D. Modernize other sections of the code as needed.

Update the Development Ordinance and Floodplain Regulations to align with Lake County and Cook County’s Ordinance. Adopt a more recent International Building Code (IBC).

A. Create and update an inventory of commercial properties.

Utilize data sources such as Co-Star along with information from brokers and property owners to create and maintain a commercial properties inventory. The inventory should be established within a database as well as displayed visually on a map.

B. Continue to refine Buffalo Grove’s planning, development, and permit processes.

Continue to explore opportunities to simplify, clarify, and streamline the Village’s entitlement process by updating, organizing, coordinating, and enhancing materials for developers. These materials include applications, workflow diagrams, Planning and Zoning Commission timelines, Village Code, zoning maps, and land use maps.

C. Continue to offer site-specific economic development incentives, while exploring opportunities to offer economic development incentives for multi-site districts.

Explore opportunities to offer site-specific and multi-site districts. All economic incentives should lead to robust economic benefits. These benefits may include but are not limited to: strengthening the Village’s tax base, creating jobs and stimulating new development.

A. Promote energy efficiency programs.

Continue and enhance relationship with utility providers and energy efficient partners and connect them with property owners and businesses.

B. Establish sustainable standards.

Lead discussions with the Planning and Zoning Commission, the Board of Trustees, and the public that explore creating voluntary or incentive-based programs to achieve green buildings, and energy efficiency.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

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Quality of Life Goal: Buffalo Grove will maintain and enhance services, amenities, resources, and partnerships so to foster a vibrant, livable, and desirable community in which to live, work, and play.

Recommendation

Action Steps

Description

1. Maintain and enhance the Village’s housing stock and market.

A. Diversify housing stock.

Examine opportunities to create a more diverse housing stock that caters to millennials, empty-nesters, and young families.

B. Continue to participate with in the Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative.

Continue working with the NSHC and explore preserving and increasing age-targeted housing, addressing aging multi-family properties, encouraging energy-efficiency housing and retrofits, as well as building housing to address the needs of growing demographic sectors.

2. Improve accessibility to, from, and around the Village.

A. Maintain and enhance multimodal infrastructure.

Continue to focus on initiatives that support multimodal transportation such as implementing the 2014 Buffalo Grove Bicycle Plan, enhancing way-finding signage, and ensuring new developments provide adequate pedestrian, bicycle, and road connections to current networks.

B. Participate in regional transportation projects.

Continue to participate in regional projects such as the Lake-Cook Road expansion, Weiland Road project, Route 53/120 project, and Buffalo Grove expansion.

3. Preserve and enrich other aspects of the Village's livability and quality of life.

A. Keep abreast of local and regional trends.

Monitor local and regional trends, projects, and programs. Provide appropriate recommendations.

B. Maintain partnerships and services.

Maintain partnerships with the Chamber, Park District, neighboring communities, school districts, Lake and Cook Counties, regional agencies, think thanks, and non-for-profits. Maintain high level of safety and governmental services.

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Appendices

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Appendix A: Relationship to Other Plans and Studies Introduction

The Economic Development Strategic Plan builds off of the relevant goals and recommendations from related Village, county, and regional plans. A summary of each plan and its relationship to the Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan is featured below.

Village of Buffalo Grove Strategic Plan 20132018 (2012)

In 2012, the Village of Buffalo Grove developed the Strategic Plan 2013-2018 to guide Village operations and services around the five strategic priorities, one of which is economic development. The Economic Development Strategic Plan establishes a framework to address the economic development objectives of the Strategic Plan, which include, but are not limited to: leveraging resources to meet community objectives, creating an inviting environment for businesses through targeted community and market methods, managing opportunities in the commercial corridors, and retaining and expanding businesses.

Village of Buffalo Grove Comprehensive Plan (2009)

Adopted in 2009, the Village of Buffalo Grove Comprehensive Plan provides an overall vision for the community with supporting goals and action steps. Part of the vision states that the Village will continue to strive to be a community that “fosters continued economic development with proactive programs encouraging and supporting businesses.� Goals in the Comprehensive Plan that support this vision include: encouraging reinvestment in established commercial properties, strengthening and diversifying the Village’s economic base, continuing to participate in regional programs that encourage a positive and healthy business climate, and striving for an economic development foundation that yields a vibrant and sustainable economy.

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Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study (2007)

In 2007, Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study was developed, which focuses on the areas surrounding the Buffalo Grove and Prairie View Metra Stations. Following transit-oriented development guidelines, the plan recommends mixed-use, commercial, and residential developments and pedestrian paths that are centered around the train stations. The plan was produced

by Camiros, Ltd. and funded in part through a grant from the Regional Transportation Authority and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Although the plan was never officially adopted, it has been used as a general guide for the station areas.

Village of Buffalo Grove Transit Station Area Study

January 2007

Lake County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (2012)

Lake County Partners (LCP) is the leading non-profit economic development corporation for Lake County and led the development of the Lake County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (Lake County CEDs) in 2012. The Lake County CEDs analyzes Lake County demographic, real estate, and industry data and outlines implementation and operational goals for Lake County Partners. These goals include: retaining and attracting primary jobs to Lake County; diversifying the County’s tax base; enhancing workforce development and training; supporting improvements to infrastructure connectivity; and providing greater support and resources for entrepreneurs. The plan also provides guiding principles for LCP as well as an action plan, which is organized under the three topic areas of job creation, marketing and outreach, and organization and coordination.

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Planning for Progress – Cook County’s Consolidated Plan and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, 2015-2019 (2015)

In 2015, Cook County adopted Planning for Progress, a plan that unites the federally mandated Consolidated Plan (Con Plan) and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) into one integrated vision. The plan adopts relevant economic growth policies from previous efforts and focuses on goals related to infrastructure and public facilities, business and workforce development, housing development and services, non-housing services, and planning and administration. Specific recommendations include increasing the transparency, efficiency, collaboration, and capacity for county and suburban governments; enhancing support for manufacturing clusters; and improving the physical infrastructure to better link residents with jobs.

Homes for a Changing Region (2013)

The Northwest Suburban Housing Collaborative (Collaborative) was formed via intergovernmental agreement in 2011 amongst Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Rolling Meadows. In 2013 the Collaborative worked with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus (MMC), Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), and the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) to develop the Homes for a Changing Region report in 2013. The report includes a subregional housing analysis, review of recent policies, housing market projections, and recommendations for future actions. The report recommended that the Collaborative communities should diversify their housing stock to meet projected housing demands.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Homes for a Changing Region Phase 3: Implementing Balanced Housing Plans at the Local Level

Year Six: Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Mount Prospect, Palatine, and Rolling Meadows

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Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning GOTO 2040 (2010)

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is the official regional planning organization for northeastern Illinois.

In 2010, CMAP developed GOTO 2040, metropolitan Chicago’s first comprehensive regional plan in more than 100 years. The plan establishes coordinated strategies to help the region’s 284 communities address transportation, housing, economic development, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues.

Specific topics discussed in GOTO 2040 that relate to the Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan include: improving education and workforce development, supporting economic innovation, achieving greater livability through land use and housing, pursuing coordinated investments with other communities, and increasing the commitment to enhance passenger and freight mobility.

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Appendix B: Community Outreach Community engagement is a critical part of the Economic Development Strategic Plan process. The following is an outline of outreach activities that were conducted to reach businesses, property owners, developers, and other stakeholders and hear their perspectives on economic development in Buffalo Grove.

Outreach Activities Board of Trustees

Village staff led five Economic Development Strategic Plan presentations and discussions with the Village Board over the course of the project’s development. These presentations, which occurred at Board Meetings and Committee of the Whole meetings throughout 2015, enabled the Village Board to be continually engaged in the plan as it progressed. Moreover, these discussions helped to mold the main themes and direction of the plan.

Economic Development Strategic Plan Steering Committee On May 18, 2015, the Village Board appointed an Economic Development Strategic Plan Steering Committee to guide the plan. The committee included businesses, developers, elected/ appointed officials, as well as other appropriate community groups and stakeholders to represent the varied business and development interests in Buffalo Grove. The Steering Committee met five times between May and December of 2015. During each meeting, the committee would receive overview of the plan’s progress to-date and then provide feedback for staff to incorporate into the Plan.

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

Business Survey In April 2015, the Village conducted an online survey for all businesses in Buffalo Grove. To advertise the survey, Village Staff mailed postcards to all 800 businesses and the Chamber Staff sent an e-blast to their members. The survey’s questions asked about the Village’s strengths and weaknesses as well as the vision for the future of the Village. Other questions regarding workforce commuting patterns and workforce development programs were also posed.

Forty-one businesses completed the survey. Of these participants, approximately 46% were retail or service businesses, 32% were office businesses and the final 22% were light industrial (warehousing or manufacturing) businesses.

Key Person Interviews Village Staff conducted 17 key person interviews between January and June of 2015. These key persons included business owners, developers, brokers, and local business leaders in the community.

The interview format allowed staff to conduct a more in-depth discussion with interviewees on topics surrounding community issues and opportunities for the future.

Buffalo Grove-Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce Village staff presented to the Buffalo Grove Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce at their monthly luncheon on March 3, 2015. During that presentation, staff outlined the plan’s objective and process and explained preliminary market findings. Chamber members also provided input on the plan’s scope and topics to be further explored. Following up from the March 3rd presentation, the Village participated in the Business Summit on October 29, 2015.

During this event, staff had an Economic Development Strategic Plan booth, which displayed a general overview of the plan’s goals, Page 54

recommendation and action steps. The forum provided an ideal format for staff to educate event attendees about the plan and gain feedback on its main concepts.

Buffalo Grove Rotary Village staff was the guest presenter at the Buffalo Grove Rotary Meeting on April 16, 2015. During the meeting, staff discussed the plan’s general framework and outreach efforts. Rotary participants asked questions regarding the plan’s phases and discussed strengths and weaknesses of the Village.

Buffalo Grove Environmental Action Team Buffalo Grove Environmental Action Team (BG EAT) is managed by the Buffalo Grove Park District and strives to raise awareness and encourage sustainability practices. Village staff was invited to discuss the Economic Development Strategic Plan to the BG EAT at their meeting on October 28, 2015. During the meeting, staff presented key themes from the plan and specifically reviewed concepts from the plan of interest to the EAT such as green building and energy efficiency.

Public Open House The Village hosted an Open House for the public to view and provide feedback on the Economic Development Strategic Plan as it was nearing its final stages of completion. The Open House was held at Village Hall on December 2, 2015.

To advertise the plan, the Open House was advertised on the Village’s website and via social media. The Village also sent postcards announcing this event to businesses in Buffalo Grove and worked with the Chamber to reach out to their members.

The open house which included a plan overview and a question and answer period, provided a platform for residents and businesses to better understand the plan’s objectives, goals and recommendations. Approximately 30 people attended the Open House event.

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Appendix C: Market Assessment Market Assessment Summary

The Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan Market Assessment (Market Assessment) was developed in the early phases of the Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan process. It addresses the question: “Where are we now?� by exploring the existing conditions of the community.

The Market Assessment draws upon data and information from demographic, real estate, employment, and market sources along with interviews and surveys with stakeholders. It covers the following key topics: community demographics and amenities, community outreach, employment and businesses, and commercial development. The findings from the Market Assessment set the framework for the goals, recommendations, and action steps featured in the Economic Development Strategic Plan.

For full text of the Market Assessment, please follow the link below. http://www.vbg.org/898/Economic-Development-Strategic-Plan

Village of Buffalo Grove Community Development Department July 16, 2015 0

Buffalo Grove Economic Development Strategic Plan

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