Schaumburg - Live, Work, Play - November/December 2008 - (Page 11) Check into style! at the new Hyatt Regency future Woodfield Village President Al Larson has a long history with Schaumburg. Larson, wife Nancy, and their three children, Mike, Cathy, and Beth moved to the village in 1969. In 1975, Larson began serving as a village trustee, a position he held for 12 years. Along the way the Larson family added two more children, David and Jennifer. In 1987, Larson became Village President, a position he holds today. Larson now enjoys his expanded family, which includes 10 grandchildren. A wide variety of projects are in Schaumburg’s future. “I still want to see, adjacent to the convention center, a 2,400seat theater for the performing arts,” said Larson. “It would give another destination point for Schaumburg to use in conjunction with trade shows at the convention center.” The expansion of the convention center could include adding a parking deck or two. An off-ramp from the Northwest Tollway to Meacham Road would also be advantageous. Larson hopes that development of the STAR (Suburban Transit Access Route) line will come to fruition. Running from Rosemont along the median of the Northwest Tollway, the line would extend all the way to Hoffman Estates. “This would give access to jobs, connect suburbs, take you to O’Hare,” Larson said. “I really want the folks in Rosemont to have convenience to shop in Schaumburg, too.” New and growing are The Shoppes of Prime Village. Home to Aldi and Culver’s, a Chicago Prime steakhouse is scheduled to open soon. The Village of Schaumburg is a member of the Chicago Wilderness consortium, an alliance of more than 200 public and private organizations working together to protect, restore, study and manage the natural ecosystems of the Chicago region. “We’re the first community in the state to adopt and change ordinance and land use policies so it’s easier to plant native grasses and turn backyards into prairie,” said Larson. “Prairie grasses lower maintenance.” Larson envisions Schaumburg becoming greener and greener. “I see more use of solar energy and more use of the bike system, with high energy costs,” Larson said. “The police department has three Segways; I’d like to see more.” In the near future, the former Homemakers parcel will see a Whole Foods store, slated to open in Fall 2009, as well as a new Crate and Barrel. “The future of Schaumburg sees more and more industry and business,” concluded Larson. “The development you see in Schaumburg will be even more attractive than what is here. Our goal is to make Schaumburg more beautiful than it is.” ® • november/december 2008 Page 11
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