Commercial interest in the southern section of Mokena has been strong enough to prompt a developer to request additional commercial zoning.
The Plum Grove Development, at the southwest corner of U.S. Highway 30 and Wolf Road, was originally approved for mixed zoning, with 23 acres designated commercial and 32 zoned for
town homes.
“Recently we’ve had a lot of interest from larger retail users,” Alan Zordan, community development director, said at a trustee work session Monday.
The strong interest in the site, which has been mentioned as a possible location for a Kohl’s department store, prompted developer Dave Tillinghast to seek a commercial designation for the whole property.
Tillinghast declined to comment on the status of talks with Kohl’s.
“Our objective is commercial use,” Tillinghast told trustees, but some of the property may not have enough frontage on the busy streets to appeal to commercial developers.
The second choice would be combining senior housing with the commercial area, with town home development the third option, the developer said.
Mayor Robert Chiszar said village officials, who have been pushing for additional commercial development, would be pleased to see the entire Plum Grove parcel devoted to business use.