Schaumburg building owners hoping bees create back-to-office buzz

A pair of commercial property owners in Schaumburg are hoping to create a new buzz around the experience of going to the office.

Schaumburg Towers owner American Landmark Properties and Glenstar Properties, owner of the Schaumburg Corporate Center, have asked village officials to make zoning changes that would allow beehives as an amenity for interested office tenants.

The village board recently directed staff to draft appropriate regulations for a review and public hearing before the zoning board of appeals.

"I was told that these beehives are a selling point for prospective tenants, and they use the local honey extracted, as well as the beeswax products, as a tenant giveaway amenity," Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said.

Schaumburg Towers, formerly known as Zurich Towers, already is working with the Canadian-based firm Alveole on informative workshops for its tenants that include honey extraction and candlemaking, he added.

The beekeeping request comes just months after the Schaumburg Corporate Center opened an on-site dog park. Created to enhance the office experience, it's believed to be the first of its kind among office properties in the region.

On its website, Alveole promotes educational materials on nature-based solutions for getting employees excited about coming back to the office instead of working remotely.

"Share some of the top factors employees are looking for in a workplace and the ways nature-based solutions can meet these needs," Alveole suggests.

Representatives of American Landmark Properties and Glenstar Properties were unavailable for comment during Thanksgiving week.

Schaumburg officials are looking at specific requirements for the requested zoning change. These include: allowing special use permits for office and manufacturing sites but not retail properties; limiting the quantity and location of beehives, such as keeping them away from building entrances and sidewalks; and requiring landscaping that will provide on-site food sources for the bees.

Schaumburg already has a Community Bee Garden on village-owned property at 200 S. Plum Grove, but this would allow additional locations for such activity within the village.

The village is also seeking the experiences of other members of the Northwest Municipal Conference regarding beehives on nonresidential property.

When Hanover Park opened a community apiary a dozen years ago on the site of a former sewage treatment at Bayside Drive and Army Trail Road, it was the first of its kind in the Midwest.

With the docility of honeybees now a long-established fact, Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig said he can understand why office property owners might see apiaries as an asset for tenant attraction and retention.

"I think businesses today are trying to figure out a way to get people back to the office," he said. "Your corporate culture can come apart if people aren't coming to the office."

While beekeeping isn't a cheap hobby, access to a place to do it can be a big step for people with an interest, Craig added.

Lincolnshire allows beekeeping on nonresidential properties of at least 100 acres in business districts.

Since 2010, the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort has had an apiary in a garden area near the golf course on the southwest side of the sprawling property. The honey collected has been used in the resort's restaurants as well as in the Five Eyes Honey Ale made by the Tighthead Brewing Company in Mundelein.

Five other members of the Northwest Municipal Conference that responded to Schaumburg's survey also allow apiaries on nonresidential properties.

Barrington conditionally allows beekeeping in Planned Unit Developments only.

Grayslake allows it as a special use on agricultural properties.

Wheeling and Northbrook allow beekeeping without having specific ordinances for it, requiring registration with the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

The Park Ridge City Council also recently asked its staff to draft a proposal permitting beekeeping on nonresidential property while discussing the creation of a community garden on park district land.