In the past 18 years, the Village of Huntley has expanded its business and industrial base in many ways – foreign-owned and domestic manufacturing and warehousing facilities, shopping centers, restaurants and boutiques, educational facilities, medical and healthcare centers, banks, and a Walmart. And of course, the Midwest’s largest active adult community, Sun City.
In that same time span, Huntley’s population has ballooned from less than 3,000 to 27,000, and it’s still growing.
One challenge remains, however: a hotel that will serve the community’s fast-growing population and the thousands of travelers that pass by the community on the I-90 interstate highway. Many Sun Citians to whom the Sun Day has spoken have expressed interest in a hotel where they can house their extended families who visit on holidays and for special family events.
Now, the village has set its sights on luring hotel developers to the community. They have sent out surveys to residents and gotten favorable feedback, filled their website with hotel site opportunities on maps and aerial photos, and communicated the opportunities to the hotel industry.
So far, there have been some inquiries and conversations, but no solid proposals.
The Sun Day met with Margo Griffin, the village business development coordinator, and Lisa Armour, assistant village manager.
“We have had discussions with several interested parties, and we have sent information to developers,” said Griffin. “We have had a number of inquiries, but this process often takes some time to develop into something definite.”
“I believe the village has excellent resources and a good location to support and create the interest of hotels,” said Armour.
Taking advantage of its location on the Route 47-interstate 90 corridors, Huntley officials has identified six possible hotel sites that they believe would be attractive to hotel developers. The sites stretch from near I-90 on the south along Route 47 to Regency Square Parkway near Walmart on the north.
The sites, from south to north, are:
The south side of Dhamer Drive near the Life Spine R&D facility, immediately west of 47.
The north side of Freeman Road immediately east of Route 47, next to the former Marsala’s restaurant.
The area behind the Jewel-Osco and Weber facilities at the Village Green Shopping Center.
A site behind a storm water management easement south of BMO Harris Bank, on the east side of 47.
Another site on the east side of Route 47 between Regency Square and Powers Road.
A possible site immediately south of Heartland Bank on the west side of Route 47.
A hotel often attracts additional nearby facilities such as restaurants and gas stations. If and when any of this happens, there will possibly be those signs you often see near towns on interstate highways advertising the locations of facilities, along with very tall advertising towers with hotel and gas station logos on top.
