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Commission endorses permanent EI Haunt at historic Hyder Electric building, with strict crowd-control conditions
Summary
The commission unanimously recommended approval (7–0) for EI Haunt to establish a permanent haunted‑attraction and year‑round escape rooms in a five‑story historic building at 80 N. State St., subject to conditions governing queuing, parking shuttles, staffing, and safety.
The Elgin Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously (7–0) on July 6 to recommend city council approve a conditional use allowing EI Haunt to make a permanent home at the historic Hyder Electric building (addressed as 80 North State Street) and operate a seasonal haunted attraction plus year‑round escape rooms.
Staff and the applicant described detailed crowd‑management plans: EI Haunt expects to operate about six weeks each fall (mid‑September through the first weekend in November) and to run ticketing in timed slots, moving groups of five to seven people into the attraction every minute. Anticipated attendance ranges from 100–350 visitors per day on regular nights to as many as 2,500 on peak Halloween weekend. The operator plans to route prepaid ticket holders to designated off‑site parking lots (Lot 3 at south of City Hall and a library lot) and run shuttle buses to the venue; additional overflow parking would be provided through a Habitat for Humanity lot and other city lots. The proposal includes a fenced outdoor queuing area, seasonal porta‑potties, and significant on‑site and off‑site staff and security to manage pedestrian flows.
"This is an opportunity for adaptive reuse and downtown investment," Colleen Behrens, representing the property owner and development team, said. She described EI Haunt as a long‑established attraction with a 20‑year operating history that has passed required safety inspections and employs designers, technicians and actors year‑round.
Commissioners questioned crowd size, shuttle frequency, exit routing where guests leave onto a live street, staging on sloped green space, and coordination with concurrent events (such as Nightmare on Chicago Street). EI Haunt’s general manager said shuttle service would begin around 6 p.m. and run continuously, that most customers (about 75%) would purchase timed, prepaid tickets routed to specified lots, and that staff would monitor and re‑route parking in real time using walkie‑talkies.
Staff recommended approval subject to the conditions listed in the packet; the commission voted 7–0 to recommend approval and asked the applicant to continue working with staff to finalize operational details required by the conditions.
