A wallpaper factory up for sale in Mokena could become a parking lot and free up some extra business space on Front Street, Mokena officials said at a recent work session.
The building, which is for sale as industrial property, sits on about 1.3 acres on the west side of Wolf Road.
Village officials are seeking to renovate and promote the Front Street business district, and Metra is seeking land for more commuter parking spaces, so the railroad’s acquisition of the wallpaper factory could serve both purposes.
“This is very, very conceptual,” Village Administrator John Downs said.
Lynne Corrao, a community specialist for Metra, said she could not discuss the specifics of land acquisition in a public meeting. In general, the commuter railroad does not try to buy land unless the village favors the idea, she said.
Cooperative development is a possibility, Corrao said. “We are not averse to working with anyone you’d want us to work with,” she said.
Such a move could allow the village to reclaim some of the present Metra parking lot on Front Street for business development without decreasing the amount of commuter parking, trustee Joe Werner said.
Freeing up Front Street for business use is important in attracting people to the downtown area, according to trustee Mike Everett. “Front Street, to be successful, needs retail on both sides,” Everett said.
Trustee Frank Fleischer disagreed. “When I look at this, I look at turning all downtown into a parking lot, and I’m not ready to do that. This, to me, is extremely early.”
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Tearing down the building might be too expensive a project for Metra, Fleischer said.
Industrial real estate broker Walter Murphy, who is marketing the building, said a retail real estate broker advised against retail development at the site.