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Board gives developer direction to continue negotiations on former Hager pottery site after brownfield concerns
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing and technical discussion, the East Dundee board voted in an informal straw poll to continue contract negotiations with Brint Shore Development for redevelopment of the former Hager pottery brownfield, while flagging remediation costs, TIF financing and the rentals‑versus‑homeownership tradeoff.
Developer Mike Brown of Brint Shore Development returned to the East Dundee Village Board on Oct. 20 to present a revised plan for the former Hager pottery site, trimming the proposal from roughly 136 units to about 95–96 and shifting toward two‑ and three‑story townhomes with a central adaptive‑reuse building. Brown said the revised plan includes about 120 off‑street parking spaces and a mixed‑income financing model tied to competitive tax credits through the Illinois Housing Development Authority: "20% of units at 30% AMI, 60% of units at 60% AMI, and 20% market rate units," he told the board.
Why it matters: the site is a designated brownfield. Village staff and consultants cautioned that remediation will be costly and slow, and that federal/state grants are limited. A village staff member summarized the situation: "The site is a designated brownfield. It is going to require a lot of remediation," and noted that lead and asbestos testing are complete but that full soil and water borings and a phase‑2 report are still pending.
Board and public reaction split between residents urging demolition and interim green space and supporters emphasizing housing affordability and local jobs. Brian Dahl, president of the Fox Valley Building and Construction Trades Council, urged approval on labor and economic grounds: "Let's put local people to work, restore life to a historic property, and show what it means when a community, a developer, and labor all work together," he said during public comment. Opponents said the village should prioritize single‑family ownership and expressed concern about concentrated rentals.
Members pressed the developer and staff on several technical points: whether the 120 parking spaces included garage parking (the developer confirmed they do), how the project’s AMI bands compare with East Dundee incomes, and whether demolition could happen ahead of full financing. Staff and a consultant repeated earlier cleanup cost estimates in the $3–5 million range and warned that if the village assumed remediation directly it could create long‑term legal and financial exposure. "If we take this remediation on ourselves and try to execute it, it's not a great solution," a staff member said, noting litigation and liability risks from municipal remediation programs.
Board action: the mayor/chair held a nonbinding straw poll asking whether to continue working with Brint Shore to negotiate a development agreement. Trustee Sauter, Trustee Saviano, Trustee Mahoney and Trustee Oakland voted yes; Trustee Coonsie and Trustee Guzman voted no. The majority directed staff to continue formal negotiations so the developer can prepare more detailed contract and financing terms; the board did not authorize a contract or spending at the meeting.
What’s next: staff will post the outstanding environmental testing when available and will begin negotiating a development agreement and TIF structure with the developer if the board remains supportive. The board emphasized it needs more information on remediation costs, the timing of cleanup, financing details and potential impacts on other village priorities before a binding commitment is made.
