More Top Picks Best Car Amplifiers For Subwoofers
In buying the former site of Papa Joe’s demolished restaurant, New Lenox hopes to spur redevelopment on the west end of U.S. 30, which has been plagued with vacant storefronts.
Officials agreed to purchased the 1 acre site for $735,000 in a recent village board meeting.
Mayor Tim Baldermann said he wants to create a larger, more developable commercial site by acquiring an additional 2 acres in a swap with the New Lenox Park District, which owns land behind that vacant lot, west of Firefighter’s Park. He also hopes to work a deal with BMO/Harris Bank to the east for a shared parking agreement.
Papa Joe’s Restaurant, at 400 W. Maple (U.S. 30) closed a few years ago, and the Les Family, which owns Williamson’s Restaurant at U.S. 30 and Interstate 80, initially acquired it with plans to remodel the building, but later demolished it, intending to rebuild, Baldermann said.
“I give them credit for trying to redevelop the site, but it was just not working for them,” he said.
The village expects to acquire the site from the Les family within 90 days and then contact private development firms to see if anyone is interested in it, he said.
It should be easier for the village to redevelop that site because it has more opportunities to work with the park district, Baldermann said
Potential parcels include a portion of the 80-acre site the village recently bought for afuture sewage treatment near Gougar and Laraway Roads, or the former public works garage on Country Creek Drive, which the park district currently uses for storage, according to the mayor.
This commercial redevelopment project, plus the state’s planned new interchange at I-80 and U.S. 30 create a chance to “kickstart” the west end of the town, Baldermann said.
This interchange area — the first glimpse of New Lenox for many interstate travelers — has been plagued with vacant storefronts.
For those exiting I-80 westbound, is a view of the empty K-Mart store. A few blocks east at Nelson Road is the closed FIM store. Beyond that was Papa Joe’s and a block further east is the vacated Pizza Hut restaurant at Vine Street. All are within less than a mile and a half of the interstate.
The village also is working with a potential buyer for the FIM store, and Balderman said there has been “a lot of interest” in the K-Mart property, which has been vacant for two years, according to village officials.
“Our biggest problem is that (K-Mart) is controlled by Sears and we are trying to get Sears to respond,” he said.
With new businesses and a new interchange in the spring, “the west end could look really nice,” Baldermann said.
The mayor predicts this corridor will “look much different in two years.”
“It will be a desirable place get off I-80,” he said.
The village planned to upgrade the medians at the interchange, but it will now work with the Illinois Department of Transportation on that when the interchange is reconstructed.
“It’s not that we have not had desire (to improve the west end). The opportunities don’t always present themselves,” he said.
The land swap “is something we have talked about for years,” said Greg Lewis executive director of the park district. He is eager to acquire 30 to 40 acres of land for a large park site near the proposed sewage plant, and could also use more storage space, he said.
More Top Picks Pool Covers
“One way or another, we will try to make this work for everyone,” he said.
The park district previously gave the village land for its new police station and in exchange, it acquired the old station/village hall.
By law, it has to be of equal value, Lewis said.
“Our working relationship with the village has been outstanding,” he said.
