Plans for a drive-thru Starbucks and an urgent care facility at Harlem Avenue and Madison Street are nearly finished and heading to Forest Park officials, a Chicago-based developer says.
“Within the next week or so, we expect to have completed our formal application to the village of Forest Park,” Jim O’Rourke, attorney for Midwest Property Group, said Oct. 23.
The lot at the northwest corner of the intersection — formerly occupied by a gas station — has been vacant about seven years.
“It’s been a while,” O’Rourke said.
As proposed, Starbucks would occupy 1,855 square feet of space in the southern portion of the building, and a MedSpring Urgent Care would fill about 3,590 square feet to the north, according to a news release from Midwest Property Group. A parking lot would have about 20 spaces.
“That’s a big deal for the whole neighborhood,” said David King, a local commercial real estate broker.
An August survey done on behalf of Midwest Property Group polled 225 customers exiting the Starbucks nearby at 7231 Madison St. in downtown Forest Park. A majority said they would use a Starbucks drive-thru if one was available, and a majority would go elsewhere if the current Forest Park Starbucks closed and another was not built at Madison and Harlem, according to the release.
“Drive-thrus are really the way of the future,” O’Rourke said. “People like drive-thrus.”
O’Rourke said the goal is to have one Starbucks in Forest Park, meaning the current Madison Street shop would relocate to the corner.
Jess Walters, a shift supervisor at the Forest Park Starbucks, said staff are aware of the proposed move, and adding that it had been in the works for more than a year.
There are a number of issues that have been discussed between the developer and the village of Forest Park, O’Rourke said, but “the traffic flow is something we need to make sure we get right.”
O’Rourke said Midwest Property Group has made “a huge concession” by not allowing customers to exit on Madison Street. Permission from the Forest Park Zoning Board of Appeals is needed for the drive-thru.
Additionally, Midwest Property Group will widen the alley used by Parky’s Hot Dogs at 329 Harlem Ave., so two lanes of traffic can exit north and south onto Harlem Avenue, according to the release.
O’Rourke said the village of Forest Park has been cooperative as they’ve discussed potential plans. While Midwest Property Group doesn’t presume to speak for the village, he said, “we would like to be in there in early 2016 … and we’re optimistic about that.”
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.