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Even with a stadium, the redevelopment of Arlington Park will likely include other uses

 


Once per generation.

This is how a marketing brochure describes the redevelopment opportunity that exists on a sprawling 326-acre site that has been hosting horse racing for nearly a century in Arlington Heights.

And while horse players, railbirds and other longtime fans of the sport of kings might be hoping for a savior to buy and keep the Arlington Heights Oval running, the industry’s continued decline in recent years. years makes such a possibility unlikely.

Instead, the Arlington International Racecourse property is being considered for a multitude of potential uses, from a mixed-use project with shops, restaurants and homes, to a corporate campus, a office complex or logistics center, depending on the brochure published by Chicago real estate company CBRE, who last week began officially marketing the property on behalf of owner Churchill Downs Inc.

A sports center or entertainment venue are also among the possible uses listed in the 13-page document – which makes some observers think big.

The new home of the Chicago Bears? A concert hall at the Ravinia?

These were among suggestions from sports radio speakers, columnists, bloggers, social media dwellers and even candidates for the Arlington Heights Village board of directors after Churchill confirmed last Tuesday that he put the property on the market.

Even if a professional sports stadium or full-scale entertainment venue were built in Arlington, it would likely be part of the mix for a larger redevelopment that includes a variety of uses, according to planning and development experts.

“Mixed-use development ‘has been a buzzword for some time,” said Joshua Drucker, associate professor of urban planning and policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “You will likely find a developer who sets up housing, business, recreation area because it’s a big site and you can have a lot of options to design it that way. “

Some draw parallels between what the Arlington property could become and what is already under development at a Los Angeles-area site that has long hosted another famous racetrack, Hollywood Park.

The opening last September of the nearly $ 6 billion SoFi Stadium, home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, is the centerpiece of a huge entertainment, culture and recreation campus that will include retail stores and upscale restaurants, offices, a hotel and apartments.

The sheer size of the Arlington site has some comparing it to other large-scale properties that have become available in the suburb in recent years, such as the former Glenview Naval Air Station which was developed in The Glen, a city center with shops, restaurants, apartments, offices and cinema.

Closer, redevelopment continues at 225 acres Veridian Development, on the former Motorola Solutions campus in Schaumburg. So far, it includes the Topgolf entertainment venue and a 260-unit building. There is still a 12-acre, 260-row, townhouse-style park to come, among other plans.

Indeed, ‘mixed use’ is how the Arlington Park site is referred to in Arlington Heights’ full plan.

Village officials have been preparing for the eventuality of the track being closed since at least late 2019, when they formed an internal committee to develop options for reuse or redevelopment of the property near Euclid Avenue and the Wilke Road.

Now that the site is officially marketed, staff members in the village’s planning and community development department say they plan to meet with CBRE and Churchill soon about ideas they would like to see in a possible redevelopment. They are also expected to discuss the details of what should be a lengthy municipal review and approval process.

Any real estate transaction between Churchill and an investor would depend on obtaining the necessary government approvals.

Charles Witherington-Perkins, longtime director of the department, said it was too early to know exactly what could become of the racetrack site. Like Mayor Tom Hayes, he said village officials were open to a variety of mixed uses that could include retail, commerce, office, residential and entertainment.

If the Arlington Park property remains a regional entertainment venue, Perkins added that it is possible that some elements of the existing racetrack will be preserved, such as the grandstand.

“The site won’t be redeveloped overnight,” said Perkins. “It will take a long time to properly plan the site and work with the owners, developers, the community and other stakeholders.”

“It’s going to be a big business and there are many steps in the process. It’s a bit early,” he said.

Jonathan Burch, Senior Planner at Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, noted that the assets of the racetrack property – including its location near the Northwest Freeway, Route 53 and a Metra station – make it a rare redevelopment opportunity.

While Burch and Drucker of UIC have stressed the importance of a regional planning approach to the future of Arlington Park, what happens within the borders of Arlington Heights will ultimately depend on elected officials from the suburbs.

“How does Arlington Heights want to grow? What does growing up in Arlington Heights mean?” Burch said. “Being able to clearly answer this question is an important part of planning.”



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