An abandoned mobile home subdivision in Elgin will become the headquarters for the Illinois Youth Soccer Association under plans submitted to the city.
Midwest Sports Center received the Elgin Planning and Zoning Commission’s endorsement for a proposal that calls for a 17,661-square-foot building and a 78-foot-tall, 118,000-square-foot dome covering one of two soccer fields.
Located at 909 S. McLean Blvd., the campus also would have a 15,000-square-foot physical therapy office, a concession area and gathering spaces, Elgin senior planner Damir Latinovic told the commission. Eventually, the concession area would be converted into a restaurant with alcohol service.
The 9.7-acre property is between College Green Drive on the north and Torrey Pines Drive on the south. An abandoned single-family home and 25 mobile homes fill the west side and there’s wooded open space to the east, Latinovic said.
Midwest Sports Center is working with the city to meet the required number of parking spots, which might involve working with a neighboring property owner to provide additional parking space, he said.
The company is also seeking a code variance on the number of trees it needs to plant. Under city ordinances, developers must replace a certain percentage of trees being removed, in this case either by planting 320 new trees or paying a $156,954 fee, Latinovic said.
Midwest Sports Center is asking the city to waive the requirement and the fee, he said.
The property is “very tight for what they need. As a result, they have maxed out where they could be putting up trees,” Latinovic said.
Commissioner Karin Jones said the fee was a lot of money for a nonprofit youth sports league to have to pay. She would rather see the association use that money to buy equipment benefiting its members than purchasing replacement trees.
Jennifer Bueche spoke in support of the plan. She grew up in the single-family home on the property and said a majority of the trees being removed are not in good shape.
“I would like to be on record that I am in support of this project. I think it’s a very exciting opportunity for Elgin,” Bueche said. “Elgin used to have the slogan, ‘The City to Watch.’ I think this will bring a lot of excitement and additional business to our side of Elgin.”
The association is a nonprofit that plans on holding tournaments and working with the city of Elgin on creating more recreational opportunities, Latinovic said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.