Latest news with #EastDundee
Chicago Tribune
15-05-2025
- Science
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: Planetarium presentation on Elgin Watch Co. set for May 21; ribbon-cutting for new East Dundee parking deck set for May 22
The School District U-46 Planetarium in Elgin will hold two public events on Wednesday, May 21, about the Elgin National Watch Co., its observatory and its connection to the planetarium. According to the school district's website, the program are scheduled for 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. with self-guided building tours from 4 to 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Admission is free, with a suggested donation of $2 per person. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. The planetarium opened in September 1963, according to the city of Elgin's website. It was an addition to the original part of the building, which was the 1909 Elgin National Watch Co. Observatory. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The planetarium is located at 312 Watch St.. For more information, go to email DebbieMcMullen@ or josephkellenberger@ or call 847-888-5019. East Dundee will host a ribbon-cutting event at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, to celebrate the completion of its new two-level parking garage at 304 Hill St. The garage has 163 parking spaces and ground level commercial space being marketed by the village for $500,000, according to a website for the development. The total cost for the garage was about $7 million. East Dundee also opened a new surface-level parking lot with 26 stalls at 309 Jackson St. in March. After the ribbon-cutting, East Dundee will hold its first Thirsty Thursday outdoor street festival of the season from 6 to 9 p.m. outside The Depot, 319 N. River St. The Gooroos will be on stage performing dance music, and food and beverages will be available for purchase. To celebrate Historic Presentation Month, the Elgin Public Museum will be holding guided tours, a program on green infrastructure and a plant sale on Saturday, May 24. Half-hour tours are scheduled for noon, 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3 p.m., according to the museum's Facebook page. At 12:30 p.m., Chris Flaherty will present 'Rooted in Community: Municipal Green Infrastructure.' Flaherty is founder of Green Guerilla, a land management company that specializes in native garden/natural area designs, applications and maintenance. Green Guerrilla will also be hosting a native plant sale outside the museum from noon to 4 p.m. Indoor events are included with admission — $3 for adults, $2 children ages 3 to 12 and seniors 60 and older, and free for toddlers under 3 and for adults with Elgin Township Senior Access passes. The museum is located at 225 Grand Blvd. in Lords Park.
Chicago Tribune
24-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Elgin News Digest: East Dundee buys downtown gravel lot for community event use; Thriving After 55 Resource Fair being held Friday at ECC
East Dundee buys downtown gravel lot for community event use East Dundee has purchased a gravel-covered downtown lot for $266,000 that will be used as additional space for community events, according to a news release. The property, which is being purchased from local businessman Tom Roeser, is parallel to the Fox River Trail between Railroad and Hill streets. It's south of The Depot at 319 N. River St. and is already being used for spillover parking for village events and to provide additional space for The Depot's seasonal Saturday market. In the release, Village President Jeff Lynam said the land will provide more opportunities for downtown events. East Dundee will pay for the property using money generated by its downtown Tax Increment Financing district. Thriving After 55 Resource Fair being held Friday at ECC A free Thriving After 55 Resource Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 25, in Building J on the campus of Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive. About 90 local businesses, government agencies, nonprofits and organizations for people 55 and older will be in attendance. Free blood pressure checks, stroke risk assessments and blood sugar screenings will be offered, according to the ECC website. For more information, go to call 847-622-3036 or email cemailbox@ Spring bird walk at Burnidge Forest Preserve on Saturday Kane County Forest Preserve Naturalist Josh Libman will lead a spring bird walk from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at Burnidge Forest Preserve, 14N035 Coombs Road, Elgin. Registration is not required to attend. Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars to spot the various birds that can be seen at this time of year, according to a social media post. The event is organized by the Kane County Chapter of Illinois Wild Ones. For more information, call 630-200-5665 or email gkwildones@ Randall Oaks Zoo's 'Party for the Planet' set for Saturday Randall Oaks Zoo in West Dundee will be hosting a 'Party for the Planet' from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Activities will include tossing around a giant Earth ball and a game about garbage, according to the Dundee Township Park District website. Visitors can take home native wildflower seeds that grow plants attractive to pollinators like bees and butterflies and sample cookies made with sustainable cricket protein. All activities are included with regular admission. The zoo is located at 1180 N. Randall Road. For more information, go to call 847-551-4312 or email randalloakszoo@ Three U-46 student named National Merit Scholarship finalists Three School District U-46 students who are seniors at Bartlett High School have been named finalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship program. Kyle Depakakibo, Frederick Lorek and Nina Mangriotis will compete for about 6,800 scholarships worth nearly $26 million, according to a U-46 news release. Winners will be named later this spring. The three placed among the top 1% of juniors nationwide who took the 2023 PSAT, which serves as the initial screening. They advanced to the finals based on their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received, a news release said. Depakakibo plans to major in nuclear, plasma and radiological engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Frederick wants to study biomedical engineering on a pre-med track at the University of Texas in Dallas. The release did not provide any additional information about Mangriotis.
Chicago Tribune
20-03-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Proposals sought for former East Dundee lumberyard site to include new arts center
East Dundee is inviting developers to submit redevelopment proposals for the former Doederlein Lumber Co. property that are to include a new performing arts venue for the Raue Center for the Arts. The village purchased the lumberyard in December 2023 from DeLoris Doederlein. It's located on a little more than three-quarters of an acre at 110 Railroad St. in the heart of the downtown district. Now ready to proceed with its redevelopment, village officials this week released a Request for Proposal, known as an RFP, that outlines East Dundee's vision for the property, which is to be sold to the developer for $10. They're seeking a mix of commercial and residential development in addition to a performing arts center and commercial storefront spaces being built on what will become an extension of Meier Street. Under the village's requirements, the developer must agree to a public/private partnership for the Williams Street Repertory/Raue Center, which is being purchased as a lease-to-own building. The RFP stipulates that East Dundee would not own the performing arts venue. 'We've made significant progress with the performing arts center to know it's moving forward,' Village Administrator Erika Storlie said at this week's East Dundee Village Board meeting. According to the RFP specifications, the center is to have a 4,000-square-foot lobby, 6,000-square-foot stage, sound booth, production and paint shop, loading dock, dressing rooms and administrative office space. Raue would lease the building and then own it after a 20- to 25-year period. 'This model will set them up for success so they have skin in the game,' Storlie said. A public/private partnership is necessary because 'there is a great need for performance venue space and there is a great desire to have this performance art center for the community,' she said. It also will help boost business for downtown restaurants and stores, she said. 'There was a compelling interest in the village acquiring this property to see this development happen and make the performing arts center viable,' Storlie said. The design fits in with the downtown's historic character and a Tax Increment Financing district will be created for the site, according to the RFP. The new 23-year TIF district is expected to start in 2026. East Dundee plans to convert a gravel parking lot adjacent to the former lumberyard into a one-way street that extends Meier Street to the north. There will be angle parking on both street sides. The village also is asking that proposals attempt to include redevelopment of one building, which dates back about 100 years old. It was initially a bank, which crashed in the 1920s, said Doederlein, who spoke at the meeting. It still has the vault and other items inside, she said. She would like to see it turned into a museum for East Dundee if possible, she said. 'We need more things down here that people can go visit for free,' Doederlein said. If reusing the building isn't possible, it will be donated back to the Doederlein family, who may choose to move it, Storlie said. In addition to the Doederlein property, the village also has purchased a gravel parking lot across from the former lumber yard that is to be used as a park area, extending the green space surrounding The Depot at 319 E. River St. Construction of a new parking deck is also underway downtown and expected to be finished this year. It will include new commercial space as well. The projects being planned are going to 'be absolutely phenomenal,' Storlie said. 'The downtown has so much potential.' The deadline for developers to submit plans for the Doederlein property is July 7. On March 31 and April 28, the village will host interested companies that want to see the property and meet with officials. Staff expects to present a formal recommendation to the board by September.
