When Wickes Furniture decided to build a store on Rand Road, the nearby residents protested. Their complaints were ignored, and the developers built a huge, glass edifice that now stands empty, much like many of Lake Zurich’s attempted developments.
Now, similarly, the Dimucci family is trying to rezone part of their land, on the corner of Route 12 and Old McHenry Road, so they can commission a shopping mall. Lake County and Hawthorn Woods should not allow this, as it will not end up benefitting the area.
Anyone driving down Route 12 can see the current state of its strip malls and businesses. From all the empty stores of Deer Park mall to the empty former Office Depot to the empty former Wickes Furniture to the empty former K-Mart, stores are struggling with the poor economy and lots of competition.
As stores close and business slows, the answer is not to build more retail space. The last thing the area needs is another strip mall to sit empty.
The 271-page project proposal says that 69 percent of the tax revenue will go to District 95, but there will not be much until five to seven years from after the buildings are built, even longer if they establish a TIF District, and not at all if they cannot attract businesses.
The County means well in supporting this plan, especially with provisions to leave open space and keep the buildings community-consistent and green, but current economic conditions make this a poor time for development.
There is also the fact that the area is surrounded by residential neighborhoods, and trucks going in and out with deliveries will be bothersome to the residents. Even with provisions to update the roads to accommodate the development, increased traffic could also be dangerous for families and children in the area – children have already died in traffic accidents near the intersection.
Hawthorn Woods already voted against the rezoning, even despite their support for development of the land, as the project is too large for a residential area.
“[The plan is] twice the size and twice the height of what we would allow,” Joseph Mancino, Hawthorn Woods mayor, said at the vote. “It’s residential and surrounded by large estate lots.”
Overall, the area would be much more suited to affordable housing, even if the Dimucci family has not been able to find housing developers in recent years. Trying to make this a commercial property is only going to leave the area with more empty buildings.
As the plan passes through the various planning and zoning boards, residents need to work to make their issues with the plan known. They need to oppose this development if they do not want their town to continue as a commercial graveyard.