There was an informative article about Elgin's recent growth in the Tribune's Sunday edition. The article was on the front page of the Tribune's Real Estate section, and portrays Elgin in a nice light.

A wave of residential construction promises to forge a new future for the city that prides itself on its 19th Century houses... "In the next decade, Elgin will emerge as the center of housing development in the Chicago area," predicted real estate analyst Steve Hovany, president of Strategy Planning Associates in Schaumburg...

and the best:

Elgin was founded in 1837 and developed as a city with its own character. Its historic districts abound with grand Victorian houses that attest to former glory.

The Tribune's web site doesn't seem to have the pictures and diagrams but the article is here:
Chicago Tribune article