$50,000 investment will create the department's first purpose-built room for group therapy, workshops and community programming
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Compass Datacenters is investing $50,000 to create a dedicated community wellness space at the Village of Hoffman Estates Health and Human Services Department. The project will combine the department's conference room and an adjacent staff office into a single purpose-built room for group therapy, workshops and community programming.
Until now, the department has had no formal group therapy space. When staff wanted to hold a group, they pushed the conference table to one end of the room and set up chairs in whatever space was left.
The investment reflects Compass's 100-year neighbor philosophy, which commits the company to the long-term wellbeing of the communities where it operates. Compass is developing a hyperscale campus on the former Sears headquarters site in Hoffman Estates – the start of a decades-long presence in the Village – and the wellness space is the latest of the company's investments in the community.
The announcement comes during Mental Health Awareness Week, as Compass hosts mental health activations for construction workers across all its campuses under development, including Hoffman Estates. Construction workers die by suicide at rates significantly higher than the general workforce – among the highest of any industry, according to the CDC – and the company's programming focuses on making it normal to ask for help on the jobsite.
Health and Human Services has served the Village for more than 45 years, beginning in the 1980s as a drop-in center staffed by volunteers. Today the department sees roughly 115 residents a month, or more than 1,300 a year, and provides about 4,600 hours of individual, couples, family and group therapy annually, offered on a sliding scale based on income and family size; most residents pay between $5 and $20 per session.
Demand has risen sharply since the pandemic. The department works to keep any waitlist under three months, and group programming is central to how it manages that — both to reach more residents and as a form of care in itself.
"There is a big influx in people experiencing isolation, and social isolation has real consequences for mental health at every age," said Dr. Monica Saavedra, Director of Health and Human Services for the Village of Hoffman Estates. "Groups let us build community, and they let people who are waiting for individual therapy connect and start receiving support sooner. We see friendships come out of these rooms. We see support systems come out of them."
The room was designed in-house by Sanyokta Kapur, the Village's Director of Building and Code Enforcement and experienced in healthcare architecture and interior design by background. Where the existing room has fluorescent lighting, neutral walls and no acoustic treatment, the new space will use engineered wood flooring, decorative wood ceilings, earth tones, living plants and a built-in water fountain, and will take advantage of natural light and green views from the adjoining office. Furniture moves, so the room opens for a therapy group or closes for a staff meeting.
An art piece will hang in the room as its visual focal point — a compass, chosen for the people who come through the door looking for direction.
"When we build in a community, we commit to it for the long haul," said AJ Byers, President of Compass Datacenters. "This department has been quietly taking care of Hoffman Estates for 45 years, running group therapy around a pushed-aside conference table. This was an easy decision for us and a big one for the people who walk through that door."
Design work is underway, and the department expects the room to open within roughly six months. Services will continue uninterrupted during construction, and a celebration led by Mayor Bill McLeod is planned once the space is complete.
"We are truly grateful to Compass for this generous donation and for recognizing the importance of mental health wellness in our community," said Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod. "Compass has demonstrated a strong commitment to giving back to the communities where they operate, and we sincerely appreciate their continued partnership and investment in the Hoffman Estates community."
One member of the HHS staff is already documenting the project. Charlie, the department's three-year-old chocolate Labrador therapy dog, has been named honorary PAWject Manager and has been photographed in a hard hat and safety vest at every stage so far. Residents can follow construction progress on his Instagram account, @Vohetherapydogcharlie.
About the Village of Hoffman Estates Health and Human Services
The Village of Hoffman Estates Health and Human Services Department, located at 1900 Hassell Road, provides counseling, mental health services, nursing care and social services to Village residents and employees. The department is staffed by licensed psychologists, therapists and nurses, and trains doctoral-level clinicians through its internship program. All services are confidential and offered on a sliding fee scale.
About Compass
Compass Datacenters does data centers differently. The company develops and operates sustainable Class A, Community-First campuses guided by a 100-year neighbor philosophy that invests in the workforce, infrastructure, and well-being of every community it calls home. Backed by the institutional strength of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, Brookfield Infrastructure and KKR, Compass delivers high-quality facilities at speed for the cloud and hyperscale customers driving today's economy. By combining industrialized, prefabricated design with advanced hybrid cooling that uses no water during operations, responsible energy use, and zero-waste construction, Compass takes a more sustainable approach to digital infrastructure supporting the company's built-to-last vision. The result is move-in ready capacity that scales efficiently and responsibly. Data Centers Done Differently.
SOURCE Compass Datacenters
Share this article