Mariano's Fresh Market plans to open in Palatine

Should plans to develop an upscale grocery store go forward, a parking lot is all that will separate Palatine's finest from a mouthwatering spread of espresso drinks, brick-oven pizza and sushi.

Mariano's Fresh Market plans to open a location just south of the future police headquarters at the northeast corner of Hicks and Baldwin roads. The village is selling the vacant seven-acre plot to a developer for $3.05 million, according to a deal officials approved Monday. Both facilities are expected to be completed in late 2011.

"They seem to be a real top-notch operation," Village Manager Reid Ottesen said. "They pay attention to detail, and I've been impressed with their sensitivity to surrounding land uses."

In July, Wisconsin-based Roundy's Supermarket Inc. opened the country's first Mariano's at 802 E. Northwest Hwy. in Arlington Heights - less than five miles away from the Palatine site. Stores also are being built in Vernon Hills and on Chicago's South Side, and the company has eyed additional sites for further expansion.

Mariano's bills itself as one-stop shopping for everyday grocery needs, bulk items and organic products. Company Chairman Bob Mariano is the former CEO of the Dominick's supermarket chain.

There's been some buzz about the possibility of Mariano's opening in Palatine ever since the council moved up its meeting an hour to attend the Arlington Heights store's grand opening.

But support for the plan, which includes a stand-alone building with two yet-to-be determined businesses, wasn't unanimous.

Councilman Aaron Del Mar voted against it, saying he believed the purchase price is too low and the operation could disturb the surrounding neighborhood. He said the site - which became an eyesore and struggled to keep neighboring tenants and customers to support a Kmart and Sears - would be ideal for a new village hall in order to create a municipal campus.

"It's going to pull (customers and sales tax revenue) from Jewel and Dominick's, so at the end of the day it's a wash," Del Mar said.

However, Mayor Jim Schwantz has long said he'd like to see a sales tax revenue-generating business at the site. And Ottesen said Mariano's is paying the same price per square-foot as the village did to acquire the land, not including litigation costs. He added that grocery store representatives want to hold meetings with surrounding neighbors to minimize their impact.