Brunswick Still Plans to Open Buffalo Grove Facility

Brunswick’s plans to take over Buffalo Grove’s eSkape are behind the original schedule, but the company still plans to open an entertainment complex in the village. 

“We’re still working very hard to complete the transaction. The goal of Brunswick is still to become a member of Buffalo Grove,” Mike Long, Brunswick’s vice president for service, construction and real estate, told Patch this week. 

Brunswick presented plans last August to purchase eSkape Entertainment Center and convert it into a Brunswick Zone XL. Brunswick officials said they hoped to add arcade games and billiards tables; convert The Arena, which currently hosts bands, into a laser tag area; add a new restaurant and lounge area, and convert the current restaurant space into meeting rooms. Most of eSkape’s bowling lanes would remain in place, they said. 

The proposal also called for up to 60 coin-operated games. At the time, a Buffalo Grove ordinance allowed for liquor license-holding businesses in Town Center to house up to 36 such amusement devices.

In October, trustees voted to amend the ordinance, which now allows up to 60 machines. At the same time, they allowed for amusement devices to occupy up to 15 percent of a business’s floor space, an increase from the previous limit of 10 percent.

But other steps must be taken before Brunswick can seal the deal. The company originally told village officials that it planned to take over eSkape’s lease last fall and reopen the facility as Brunswick Zone XL after a three-week renovation period. 

“They have been working on several due diligence items that were more complicated than originally assumed,” Buffalo Grove Village Manager Dane Bragg told Patch.

Brunswick has not yet applied for the permits it would need to remodel the facility, Bragg said. The proposal calls for interior changes as well as façade and patio renovations.

Long said he could not share details about the deal with eSkape.

In the meantime, eSkape remains open. Bill Feldgreber, eSkape’s general manager, has not responded to recent requests for comment from Patch.

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