Village Board Candidates Share Views, Goals

Both candidates for Buffalo Grove’s two-year trustee term agree that an improved business climate should be a priority for the village.

shared with attendees at Tuesday’s meeting their ideas on how the village’s retail environment could be strengthened.

Bocek said she’d like to see an improved presence for Buffalo Grove’s retail stores and restaurants.

“I think people are so trained to shop in some of the neighboring communities,” she said.

She said that “rebranding” the village as a destination for consumers could also serve an incentive for new businesses to come to town.

Stein, meanwhile, said the village could step up its efforts to attract new businesses by creating a website dedicated to that purpose. Such a site could include content such as a local “business of the week” offering a deal to shoppers who mention the website promotion, he said.

He said he’d like to see the village consider hiring a staff member who would focus on attracting unique new businesses. In particular, he said, he’d like to see the village bring Woodman’s — a popular Wisconsin-based grocery store — to the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Deerfield Parkway.

“We need innovative leaders with new ideas,” he said.

The candidates also fielded a handful of questions from audience members. Village President Elliott Hartstein asked Bocek and Stein to name three wishes they would like granted to improve the community.

Stein said he’d like to see the three former car dealership sites on Dundee Road occupied, have Costco relocate from Vernon Hills to Buffalo Grove, and double the number of village volunteers.

Bocek said she wishes Buffalo Grove had a downtown area in which residents could gather. She also kidded about needing the women’s clothing store White House Black Market in the village.

Regarding having just one real wish, Bocek later said that like her, many residents she’s spoken to have trouble naming shortcomings in Buffalo Grove. “They have to think about it and get back to me,” she said.

To the crowd at the Chamber meeting, she said if elected, she’ll “work really hard to keep our village the great place it is today.”

Bocek and Stein are facing off in the Village Board’s only contested race on April 5. The elected candidate will replace , who was appointed to the position temporarily after voters last fall.

With Election Day just a month away, the candidates said no other public forums have been scheduled.