Would massive Motorola site redevelopment hurt District 15, 211?
A proposed redevelopment of Schaumburg's former Motorola Solutions campus at Algonquin and Meacham roads is generally being regarded as a positive opportunity to fill a 225-acre vacancy along the village's northern border.
But one of the major questions it's raised for the area's school districts is whether they'd feel a negative impact from an increase to their student populations on what has long been exclusively commercial property.
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 Superintendent Dan Cates reported his current findings to his school board Thursday, while Palatine Township Elementary District 15 Superintendent Scott Thompson will address a residents group's town-hall meeting Monday night in Rolling Meadows.
The latest information about the project to be made public was a May presentation in which the village of Schaumburg's consultants identified a potential for 2,700 housing units.
But officials from the village and Chicago-based developer UrbanStreet Group have emphasized that no final proposal on density has been made and that the mostly multifamily housing under consideration would be unlikely to attract families with children.
Cates on Thursday said that in his talks with the developer and village, he learned the aim was to attract a combination of young professionals and empty-nesters.
"I believe our interests are the same," Cates told the school board. "That's the encouraging news that we have."
Cates added that UrbanStreet Group's new 180-unit luxury apartment complex at 680 E. Algonquin Road in Schaumburg hasn't yet generated any need for a school bus stop. That's also the case for elementary schools, District 15 Chief Communication Officer Morgan Delack said.
The complex's current occupancy rate wasn't immediately available. Village officials said occupancy permits weren't issued until July and August.
Cates said Fremd High School, which serves the former Motorola site, could take on about 350 more students without any crowding problems. The school currently has an enrollment of just under 2,600 students.
The developer and village told Cates that the plan is to develop the commercial and residential properties incrementally, spreading out the impact.
The new residents group OurD15Voice will host a town-hall meeting on the proposed redevelopment at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2, at Carl Sandburg Junior High, 2600 Martin Lane in Rolling Meadows. Thompson will present information about the potential impact on student population and district finances.
The border between District 15 and Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 runs through the redevelopment site. But early plans show the majority of residential property would be in District 15 adjacent to Algonquin Road, District 54 Community Relations Executive Director Terri McHugh said.