$30-Mil Redevelopment Takes 1st Step

Dominick's, which is building self-service gasoline stations on outlots next to new and existing stores, has been the most aggressive grocery chain to seek a location in the Downtown, says Alderman Tom Becker, chairman of the city council's community development committee. However, talks have yet to take place with the chain's biggest rival, Jewel, city officials say, and the Oehler Funeral Home at 555 Lee St. would have to be acquired.

In addition to a grocery store, another 60,000 sf of first-floor retail space would be built on the southern portion of the site in three buildings, according to a concept plan developed by Chicago-based urban planners Camiros, Ltd. Fifty two-story, "upper-market" townhouses would be built on the top of the storefronts, according to the concept plan endorsed by aldermen Monday night. Although one building at 656 Pearson has been acquired for $335,000, there are nearly 20 separate property owners involved in the site, says economic development director William J. Schneider Jr.

While Downtown redevelopment continues to be the rage among suburbs along Metra commuter lines, Des Plaines' experience has produced mixed results. The city built a new public library on the southwest side of the tracks with new retail spaces, which has been plagued by vacancies.

"We were told by the developer there'd be no problem renting out that space," recalls Alderman Thomas J. Christiansen. Adds Alderman Dick Sayad, "The library said, 'Build it, and they will come.' Well, we're still waiting."

The story on the northeast side of the tracks should be different, says Camiros, Ltd. senior associate Richard Wilson, who told aldermen his firm's market study shows Downtown Des Plaines' retail needs are underserved by 100,000 sf. "You have a food store that's already knocking at your door," Wilson says. "(The site) is easier to get to. Short of a crystal ball, you have a lot of things there stacked up in your favor."

The three retail buildings on the southern portion of the site, bounded roughly by Lee, Jefferson and Pearson streets, were laid out in an attempt to create a "town center" concept that has proven highly successful on a larger scale in nearby Deer Park. The townhouses were included in the design, Wilson explains, to create lower three- to four-story buildings rather than high-rise multifamily buildings that have risen in other suburban Downtowns, such as nearby Arlington Heights.

The next step, says Becker, is to solicit proposals from developers to build the project. However, the city council has a track record of paying consultants, including Camiros, for ideas they later fail to follow, adds Alderman Carla Brookman, with problematic results.