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Schaumburg considers plan for 6-story parking deck near convention center

Facility would serve convention center, possible new performing arts venue

Plans for a six-story, 1,137-space parking deck that would serve the Schaumburg Convention Center and Renaissance Hotel as well as new businesses that could join a planned entertainment district nearby will be reviewed Tuesday by Schaumburg village trustees.

The structure, which could include ground-floor businesses, would cost between $30 million and $33 million, according to preliminary estimates.

The plan would locate the parking deck along Meacham Road, just north of an existing access road to the convention center campus and south of Thoreau Drive.

While the location and appearance of the parking deck are open to revision by the village board, Village Manager Brian Townsend said staff members put a lot of thought into the proposed site.

"We have very logical reasons why we picked this location," Townsend said. "If you move it south, it interferes with the planned site of the performing arts center. If you move it to the east side of the site, it prohibits expansion of (the convention center's) exhibit hall."

Village officials have not yet committed to building a performing arts center as an anchor of the planned entertainment district, which would sit on the east side of Meacham Road. But its most likely location would be directly west of the Renaissance Hotel, along the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway.

Trustees directed the village staff in September to work out a concept plan for a parking deck.

The village said parking demand exceeds supply at eight annual events at the convention center. Adding more entertainment venues to the area would require more parking, officials concluded.

Among the unresolved issues are how to pay for a parking deck. Townsend said options include the redevelopment area's tax increment financing district - where tax money above a certain point goes to development rather than local governments - existing reserves for the performing arts center, sale proceeds from the Murzyn-Anderson site at the west end of the village, the building replacement fund, future parking fees and contributions from developers for their use of the facility.

Construction of the parking deck would cause the loss of 400 existing surface spaces but would result in the net gain of 737 spaces.

On Tuesday, the staff will be looking for village board feedback on the size, shape and location of the concept plan, as well as how quickly they would like to move on the project, Townsend said.

Schaumburg wrestles with parking problem as entertainment district pushes ahead

A rendering of the six-story, approximately $30 million parking deck Schaumburg officials are considering to serve the Schaumburg Convention Center and new businesses that would join a planned entertainment district nearby. Courtesy of village of Schaumburg
Schaumburg officials are considering a six-story, approximately $30 million parking deck to serve the Schaumburg Convention Center, at left in this rendering, and new businesses that would join a planned entertainment district nearby. Courtesy of village of Schaumburg
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