Thanks to Bahamas Bowl, Elk Grove gas station breaks ground Friday
Groundbreaking for a new mega 24-hour gas station and convenience store - the direct result of Elk Grove Village's unconventional sponsorship of a college football game - is scheduled for Friday.
The 7,600-square-foot Love's store and fueling station with nearly two dozen pumps will be constructed at the northwest corner of Busse Road and Pratt Boulevard in the village's business park. It's expected to open by the end of the year.
Company executive Chad Bruner said he was watching the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl on ESPN in December 2018 when he first learned of the Northwest suburban town and started to take a serious look at opening a location there. The village paid $600,000 to sponsor the games in 2018 and 2019 to market its sprawling six-square-mile business park.
Love's signed a 20-year lease for the site, and is expected to generate between $800,000 and $1 million a year in tax revenue for the village.
"Do the math - that can be $20 million to this village," said Mayor Craig Johnson. "(It was) a great investment getting our name out there with the Bahamas Bowl, getting that kind of return."