Hanover Park Spotlights Its Investment
Opportunities At Development Expo

Hanover Park Village President Sonya Crawshaw at the Village's Development Expo.

Over 100 industrialists, commercial real estate brokers, and developers learned why the Village of Hanover Park is a location for new investment at the Village's first Development Expo held on June 18, 1986, at the Seville Restaurant. In addition to providing an opportunity for land owners and developers to meet face-to-face, the Expo called attention to Hanover Park's superb geographic and physical facilities, such as its location in relation to O'Hare and present and future expressways; its ample Lake Michigan water supply and Commonwealth Edison services; and the 900 or so acres currently available for development. The featured speaker, Mr. Robert Ady, Executive Vice-President for The Fantus Company, pointed out that Hanover Park also has another characteristic that is emerging as a prime locational priority among corporations. "It appears to Fantus that the three historical criteria used by developers for a successful investment — namely location, location, location — have been joined by three, new criteria — labor, labor, labor" according to Ady who pointed out that labor cost, labor availability and labor attitudes are among the many positive aspects of Hanover Park.

In addition to hearing Mr. Ady speak on Hanover Park, the developers and real estate brokers at the Expo were also given a chance to view the land sites available for development either from the air or on the ground. Approximately twenty guests toured Hanover Park by air, by taking advantage of the helicopter tours; while the rest viewed the land parcels available for development through four foot aerial photographs of the sites. The helicopter tours gave the developers a chance to get a bird's eye view of the parcels which gave them a feeling for the market, transportation flow and proximity of other services. "It let the developer see the entire area and get a perspective that he could not get from the ground" said Hanover Park Economic Development Specialist Kathleen Koch, who organized the Expo. "We built our Development Expo around the premise that it was important to get developers mixing with Village Officials" explained Hanover Park Village Manager Dennis Dawson. There was a time when you could go into an area, buy a plot of land from a farmer, get a handshake from one or two key private citizens and build. Nowadays, public sector involvement is required in order to get a project off the ground. Community cooperation is necessary for zoning approval and utilities. As Dawson explained, this cooperation is available in Hanover Park, "The Village Board, the Staff, and the community have developed a vision, a philosophy and a leadership style that encourages economic development; that says we want it and we need it."

Exhibitors at the Development Expo included the Greater Woodfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Northwest Suburban Association of Commerce and Industry, the College of DuPage Economic Development Center, Elgin Community College, the Hanover Park Community Chamber and the local utility companies. The booths demonstrated the exhibitors support of Hanover Park's efforts and displayed the many services they provide to a new company or developer interested in moving into the area.

Thomas J. Meagher, Jr., the State Department of Commerce and Community Affairs Economic Development Representative spoke about the states support and financing programs available for development in this area that has often been described as the Golden Corridor. He also spoke about the Governor's new promotional program "Corridors of Opportunities" and the soon to be announced Governor designated corridor for the area.

Village officials have already begun to plan for next year's Expo. This marketing strategy appears to be a successful approach for exposing the Village to the development community. As Dave Zink with Maple Investment and Development said in a letter to the Village Roard "Congratulations to you for your imaginative approach to exposing your Village ... I can predict nothing but good progress for your Village in the future." •

August 1986 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 21