The West Dundee Village Board of Trustees has already spent more than $10 million purchasing the properties that make up Spring Hill Mall and is moving forward with plans to purchase two downtown buildings for $470,000.
Village President Chris Nelson said the board of trustees voted last week to acquire the adjacent property on the first block of Main Street that currently houses Riverside Upholstery and Bob's Trading Post. . Both have been owned by Robert Annibali since the late 1970s.
“It appears nothing has been done to improve the building since the Carter administration,” Nelson said. “And a fire quite a few years ago made his second floor of both buildings uninhabitable.”
Bob's Trading Post, which is owned by Anibari, has only been open sporadically and has been mostly closed for the past six or seven years, he said.
Trustee Dan Wilbrandt was the only vote against purchasing the downtown building. He said he doesn't oppose redeveloping the land, but is concerned that the village doesn't have a clear plan for what it wants to do with the building. He's also wary of the village's selection of which buildings to purchase.
“What gives me pause is that we are moving forward without certainty,” Willbrandt said.
He also said the village already has its hands full with the acquisition and redevelopment of Spring Hill Mall, a project that will likely take several years.
In 2023, the village acquired the anchor store in the mall formerly occupied by Sears from Hoffman Estates-based TransformCo for $1.958 million, and the anchor store in the former Macy's mall from Macy's for $1.21 million. I bought it. This month, the company signed a deal with Kohan Retail Investment Group to buy space inside the mall for about $7 million.
The mall's closing date is Friday, March 22nd. Only Kohl's and Cinemark movie theaters, which remain independently owned, will remain open.
Nelson said West Dundee will use TIF district funds as the primary funding source for the mall purchase. He said the account is being funded by a new apartment complex and a Coca-Cola retail facility on Route 30 at the south end of the village.
Nelson said the extra cash will be used to purchase a downtown building.
Despite the vote, Wilbrandt said he agrees that the two downtown buildings being purchased are out of character from the rest of Main Street/Route 72.
“They need a significant amount of rehabilitation and big changes,” Willbrandt said.
Nelson said the reason he is buying the downtown building now is because the opportunity to do so has presented itself.
Village officials said they have been in touch with Anibali over the years about what they can do with his property. Recently, controversy has centered on Anibali's use of the Bob's Trading Post property as a storage facility, which is not allowed by village ordinance, which is why Anibali is moving two buildings into the village. That led to talk of selling, Nelson said.
“Downtown redevelopment is a goal of the village, and underutilized properties like this can reduce the value of other properties,” he says. “We have overcome challenges, but now we have an opportunity to take action.”
Wilbrandt said he understands the goal. “Having the village involved as an owner can stimulate redevelopment,” he says.
Nelson said village ownership can be attractive to developers because they know there is less risk if they invest, especially if the village offers redevelopment incentives. .
“We provide a stable environment for responsible developers to plan,” he said.
Once the purchase is completed in May, the village plans to solicit proposals for development ideas. Ideally, the new owners would attract businesses that generate foot traffic, such as restaurants and stores, Nelson said.
He said the building is in such poor condition that the village will likely have to offer incentives to offset the amount needed for repairs.
Once the deal with Annibali is finalized, Riverside Upholstery will have six months to relocate. Nelson said village officials have expressed a desire to remain in West Dundee, and the village intends to help find a new location.
Mike Dunahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
