The West Dundee Village Board is moving forward with plans to build a new police station on a portion of the former Spring Hill Mall property.
At their meeting Monday, board members approved a $130,000 contract with Itasca-based Williams Architects to put together plans for the building, which will cost an estimated $20 million to $25 million, according to Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said.
It will require four or five acres of land, he said, and it’s likely the village will sell bonds to pay for construction. Money from the village’s tax increment finance district, which includes the former mall property, would repay the debt.
Two sites inside of what had been the mall’s ring road are under consideration for the station, according to village documents.
One is slightly northeast of the Jewel-Osco store on Main Street/Route 72 and the other is west of the LA Fitness and slightly southwest of the Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants off Route 31.
“This project will help set the stage for future development as its physical construction will determine several primary infrastructure needs for the redevelopment of the property, such as street locations and new water and sewer mains, which will effectively set the table for future redevelopment,” Cavallaro said.
The new station is meant to be an integral part of a broader plan for the now-cleared mall site, he said. Village officials envision a mixed-use development that will include office, commercial, residential and multifamily components as well as municipal, governmental and educational uses, he said.
This would be the first new project for the mall land. The mall opened in October 1980 and closed in March 2024.
West Dundee started buying up already-closed mall anchor stores in 2023 and ultimately purchased most of the mall for about $10 million. Demolition of the buildings cost about $3.8 million.
“Our vision is that the (West Dundee) property will be developed in a more traditional grid fashion, with walkability, public open spaces and amenities designed to attract people to live, work and congregate in the area,” Cavallaro said. “Entertainment uses will be a targeted component of the redevelopment, complementing the existing (movie) theater and restaurant uses already in the area.”
A new police station is needed because the department has outgrown the 40-year-old building it now shares with the fire department on Route 31 near Strom Drive.
“West Dundee currently has 24 police officers and expects to grow to approximately 30 officers as the population approaches 10,000 within the next decade,” Cavallaro said.
The village covers about four square miles and, based on a recently conducted special census, has a population of 8,372 residents, he said. With the development of the mall property, the village’s population could climb as high as 11,000, he said.
As for the new station, a village document indicates the building will be about 34,500 square feet with at least two above-ground floors and a basement.
“The newly constructed police facility is expected to include the requisite space for full-service police operations, employee support, evidence and property management, equipment storage, officer firearms/scenario/tactics and classroom training,” the document said. “The new facility is expected to have an adjacent secure parking garage space for police vehicles and an area of surface parking for police business visitors.”
Cavallaro said Williams Architects are expected to submit their design sometime this summer, with groundbreaking anticipated for 2027. The police department would remain at 55 S. 8th St. until the new building is ready to be occupied, he said.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
