President Talks Business Developments: Buffalo Grove State Of Village

BUFFALO GROVE, IL — Eric Smith is enjoying his first term as Buffalo Grove Village President.

"You know, the energy and excitement in this job and all the great things that we have going on, just it gives me a lot of adrenaline. I love it," Smith said recently while delivering the State of the Village to members of the Buffalo Grove-Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.

Smith, who was elected to a four-year term in 2023, discussed a number of topics during the 23-minute speech. At the top of the list was the continued work going on at the $150 million mixed-use redevelopment project at Lake Cook and McHenry roads, known as The Clove.

The Clove will feature approximately 78,000 square feet of new retail commercial space across multiple buildings. It will also include a 0.85-acre park, an approximately 295-unit luxury apartment building with first-floor retail, and a remodeled 35,000-square-foot shopping center north of Old Checker Road. Chick-fil-A and Guzman y Gomez are already open at The Clove.

RELATED: Village Board Approves Final Plans For Clove Project In Buffalo Grove

According to officials, anchoring the site will be a 43,000-square-foot "nationally renowned grocery store." The grocery store was originally slated to open in July of this year.

"Everybody asks about The Clove. For 30 plus years, whenever you talk to a resident, the question was always [about] what can be done about town center," Smith said. "Now, the last couple years, the questions I always get [are about the] grocery store."

Smith confirmed the grocery store will open on the site in 2025, but said due to a non-disclosure agreement, he is still not able to reveal its identity. Smith said the delay has to do with the building of 295 luxury apartments over seven stories.

Smith went on to talk about another development project, Bison Crossing, at a 16-acre site on Dundee Road. The location was once home to Rohrman auto dealerships and has sat vacant for the past 12 years.

Bison Crossing will include a 50,000 square-foot Tesla sales, service and delivery center, expected to open next year, along with luxury residential and commercial outlots. The project will also include four 4-story residential buildings, which will surround a greenspace that includes a pool and clubhouse, according to Buffalo Grove-based developer, Shorewood Development Group. The buildings will contain a mix of one-bed and two-bed units with garages.

In August 2023, the Village Board approved the Dundee Road Tax Increment Financing district, or TIF, to drive new development along Dundee Road.

"Now, sometimes TIFs get a bad name, sometimes they're controversial...," Smith said. "If you do it in a responsible way, which we've only had three in our 60 some odd years of existence, the proof is in the pudding.

RELATED: 'Highly Anticipated' Bison Crossing Development Set To Break Ground

Smith said a new amphitheater in Mike Rylko Community Park, which opened during Buffalo Grove Days in September, has been getting "rave reviews." He also said that while things have changed over the years with regard to Buffalo Grove Days, the partnership between the Chamber and the Village has helped the festival grow.

A new $34 million public works facility opened this month at 1650 Leider Lane. It is the Village's largest facility upgrade. In 2022, the Village purchased the vacant building. The final project came in at conservatively one-third less than the cost of a new ground-up facility — which officials call "a tremendous win" for the community.

"It's smart with heart, it's modern, it's efficient," Smith said. "It is forward-thinking, future minded. We've got a high-tech Emergency Operations Center in there, which is phenomenal."