•  CASE STUDY  •

Extending Staff and Expanding Impact in Elgin

How the City of Elgin partnered with HLR to extend staff capacity and deliver more, higher-impact projects.

OPPORTUNITY

Partnering with a solutions-focused civil engineering firm to extend city staff

As Illinois’ sixth-largest municipality, Elgin maintains extensive water, sewer, street, and intersection infrastructure for more than 115,000 residents. After staffing reductions in 2007, the Public Works Department needed to cover the same workload with fewer full-time employees.


HLR—an Elgin-based firm providing civil and structural engineering, land surveying, and environmental services—had been working with the City since 1977. Early roadway design successes led Elgin to appoint HLR as its traffic signal consultant, overseeing 44 City-owned signals and 20 jointly owned with county and state partners. That embedded role in daily operations laid the groundwork for a decades-long partnership.

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"Staffing is always an issue in local and state government, and we’re all doing more with less. Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick Inc. is such an extension of our staff, and having a partner that we can trust as much as we trust them is fantastic."

Aaron Neal

Public Works Director, City of Elgin

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

A decades-long partnership delivering award-winning work

From stormwater retrofits to traffic and roadway design, streetscape revitalization, and reconstruction, HLR has helped the City of Elgin deliver projects that improve daily life and earn recognition for innovation and impact.

DuPage Court Revitalization

ACEC-IL — 2025 Engineering Excellence Special Achievement Award

DuPage Court, a central gathering space in downtown Elgin, was reimagined into a vibrant and flexible public venue. The project combined aesthetic enhancements with crucial infrastructure upgrades, creating an inviting space for daily use and community events while ensuring long-term reliability for underground utilities and public amenities.

  • Added gateway arch, sculptures, upgraded pavers, canopies, and custom artist-designed manhole covers
  • Introduced movable seating and expanded electrical service to support events, vendors, and performances
  • Replaced and upgraded water, sewer, and sanitary lines to improve safety and system longevity

“HLR not only managed the project—they actively coordinated utilities and the contractor to keep everything smooth.”  — Mike Pubentz, Public Services Director, City of Elgin

Airport Road Detention Basin Retrofit

APWA Fox Valley Branch — 2025 Public Works Project of the Year

The City replaced a concrete-lined swale with a naturalized detention basin that filters stormwater before reaching the Fox River. This retrofit improves water quality, creates habitat for native species, and strengthens the area’s long-term stormwater resilience while enhancing environmental value for the surrounding community.

  • Removed concrete flume and repaired discharge structures to restore proper stormwater flow
  • Regraded the basin, adding a meandering path to slow and treat stormwater naturally
  • Installed native seed mixes and wetland plugs to increase biodiversity and ecological health

“HLR consistently met—and continues to meet—our expectations. They truly lead the process and make things easier for us.”  — Ron Rudd, City Engineer (retired), City of Elgin

impact

Trusted by Elgin for nearly 50 years

"They protect the interests of the City, stay on top of every detail, and resolve problems before they become ours. Having that level of ownership makes them invaluable partners."
— Mike Pubentz, Public Services Director, City of Elgin

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Years of partnership

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Traffic signals supported

Major industry awards in 2025

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Projects delivered with staff insight and community impact in mind

Relationship-first partnership

HLR brings a human approach to engineering—anticipating needs, communicating clearly, and supporting staff with care.

“They often foresee beyond what I’m able to see.”  — Aaron Neal, Public Works Director, City of Elgin

Ownership from end to end

Operating as an extension of staff, HLR protects the City’s interests, resolves issues, and takes full responsibility for outcomes.

“They protect the interests of the City… and resolve every problem.”  — Mike Pubentz, Public Services Director, City of Elgin

Strategic insight & foresight

HLR leverages long-standing agency relationships to streamline approvals and helps anticipate future needs and funding opportunities.

“They often forecast opportunities I hadn’t thought of yet.”  — Aaron Neal, Public Works Director, City of Elgin

why hlr

Differentiators that truly make a difference

Beyond technical expertise, City of Elgin leaders emphasize how HLR shows up as a trusted extension of their team—delivering projects smoothly while building lasting relationships.

extend your team

Need to do more with less?

Let’s extend your team’s capacity and accelerate your public works program.