A new 270-unit residential subdivision on Randall Road, a new kayak kiosk on the Fox River and a blank slate for Spring Hill Mall site development are among the projects on the horizon for Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee in the coming year.
The mayors or representatives of all three towns, joined by those in Gilberts and Sleepy Hollow, spoke Tuesday morning at the annual Northern Illinois Kane County Chamber of Commerce’s Mayors’ Breakfast at The BRIX on the Fox in Carpentersville.
CARPENTERSVILLE
Mayor John Skillman said one of the biggest initiatives on the horizon for his town is the new 17-building residential development being built off Randall Road north of the former Dominick’s grocery store.
“We’ve been talking about this for a few years,” he said. “This plan is part of the TIF (Tax Increment Finance) district, which was created last year (and) includes another 158 acres mostly on the western side of Huntley Road,” Skillman said.
Skillman also spoke about Habitat for Humanity’s Carter Crossing, 28 single-family homes off Kings Road, which is moving forward, and the upscale housing development planned for Huntley Road and Route 31, the developers of which have put up a fence in advance of construction starting.
“We’re excited about that,” he said.
Carpentersville is also working on a 22,000-square-foot expansion to the village hall and the police department, he said.
“It’s a long time coming,” Skillman said. “We needed a new village hall. The police department we’ve outgrown so we’re ready for that. It’s a big project for us.”
EAST DUNDEE
Mayor Dan Pearson introduced Franco Bottalico, who is the new interim village manager following Erika Storlie’s retirement, before discussing the new kayak kiosk set to open on the Fox River next month, designs for a new sound stage for Depot Park, and the just-completed Bike and Pedestrian Plan, which will be adopted soon.
The latter is meant to establish safer and more connective transportation options for the village, he said.
“Our community is very big on biking and walking, and now golf carts,” Pearson said. “We’re just trying to get people out and about to enjoy our community.”
The village secured a $250,000 Safe Routes School Grant to build a sidewalk along Van Buren Street to Carpentersville Middle School so students are not walking in the street, he said.
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The village’s Arts Committee has been working with West Dundee to place bronze sculptures on the Fox River and on rehabbing the pedestrian bridge over the river.
WEST DUNDEE
West Dundee has completed demolition of the former Spring Hill Mall site, creating a blank slate for future development, said village Trustee Cheryl Alopogianis, who filled in for Mayor Chris Nelson.
There are also major industrial and residential projects that are either ongoing or about to start, she said.
“We have seen a plethora of activity and facilitating investment in all areas of the town,” Alopogianis said. “We have a wide range of developer types represented.”
Among the light industrial development projects in the works is a 132,000-square-foot expansion of building owned by German-based Helukabel, she said. The company relocated to West Dundee from Elgin and manufactures cables, wires and cable accessories.
Alopogianis said there are four residential developments projects underway: 92 townhomes being built in Harvest View, off Randall Road and east of Dundee Middle School; 111 townhomes in Hickory Glen, off West Main Street; 89 single-family homes and 94 ranch homes in Fox Haven, an extension of the Carrington Reserve neighborhood; and 84 single-family homes in Tartans Creek, at Route 72 and Sleepy Hollow Road.
“We have a lot going on there,” Alopogianis said of the residential developments.
In downtown West Dundee, Woodfire is expanding its location to create a banquet and party room, she said.
GILBERTS
Gilberts Mayor Guy Zambetti said the village has been evaluating its past and future.
“We’ve stepped back and looked at what Gilberts has been, where it is and where we are looking to be in the future,” Zambetti said.
In the past, the village has been more competitive but is now seeking to build relationships with its neighbors, he said.
The town is unique because it has areas that are urban as well as rural, he said.
“We don’t have a lot of wild stuff going on in Gilberts, but we have quality stuff coming up,” Zambetti said.
The village is also embracing niche businesses and developments, he said.
One is a farm that wants to raise livestock and sell meat to the public, Zambetti said. Gilberts officials are working with the owners because there are some details, like zoning, that need to be decided, but he’s excited about the idea. The farm would offer families the opportunity to see how a farm runs, including showing children how to milk a cow, he said.
SLEEPY HOLLOW
Sleepy Hollow has seen a lot of changes in the last year, including the village now being fully staffed after losing administrative and police department employees, Mayor Courtney Boe said.
Additionally, Carpentersville is now doing inspections, issuing permits and reviewing applications for Sleepy Hollow through a contractual arrangement the two governments have set up, she said.
“It’s been a topsy-turvy year. We’ve had to navigate a lot of changes and things we weren’t anticipating,” Boe said. “There were a lot of uphill battles. After a year we have accomplished an incredible amount in Sleepy Hollow. We are small but mighty.”
One major project kicking off later this year will be the $1 million replacement of the village’s first water main. While they don’t have lead service lines to replace, its water mains are very old and should have been replaced decades ago, Boe said.
Additionally, a new restaurant, Puravida Tacos and Tequilla, is opening at 1025 W. Main St., she said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.