Hobby Lobby to open on Randall in Algonquin
A new Hobby Lobby store is coming to the Randall Road corridor.
Many of you have been driving by the new construction on the west side of Randall Road in Algonquin, wondering what the building at the south end of the Esplanade is going to be.
In early spring, it will be open for business as Hobby Lobby. The store is going up near Corporate Parkway and Randall Road, south of Algonquin Commons.
The building will be just over 55,000 square feet, and should be open by March or April, said Russ Farnum, community development director for the village of Algonquin.
The craft and hobby store, he added, is a welcome addition to the Randall Road corridor. He said it not only will be a benefit for shoppers, but also could help spur future development along the corridor.
The activity is expected especially, he said, in the Esplanade.
The Hobby Lobby construction is garnering much attention from shoppers, commuters along Randall Road, and future businesses.
The Esplanade has a handful of stable businesses, and had a restaurant for a short while, but since then has not seen much new activity. Much of the activity in that area of the Randall Road corridor is focused on Algonquin Commons, just to the north of the Esplanade. But this could draw more shoppers, and more businesses, into the Esplanade too.
“This store has a huge benefit because of the additional activity that will be generated in the Esplanade development,” Farnum said. “The traffic and shoppers will help new and existing businesses that are located in the Esplanade.
“That should be a tremendous boost to the stores that are along Corporate Parkway in the Esplanade, as well as future tenants that will be locating in the former Doublejack’s restaurant location and future tenants in the south building. We are also hoping it will spur some new development of the outlots that are located along Randall Road and the south side of Corporate Drive.”
Paint in your pajamas: In the cold winter months, there are many days it would be nice to just stay in your pajamas all day.At Color Me Mine along the Randall Road corridor in Geneva, pajamas are welcome.Every Saturday night starting at 4 p.m., they offer a discounted studio fee for all painters in their pjs.As long as you have a $10 minimum bisque purchase, your studio fee will be reduced to $2.For information call (630) 845-0043.Teacher Tuesdays: If you#146;re a teacher, you might want to wait until Tuesday to do your clothes and accessories shopping.The Gap stores at both Algonquin Commons and Geneva Commons along the Randall Road corridor, and at some other spots throughout the Chicago area, are hosting Teacher Tuesdays from now through Jan. 24.If you show your school ID, you can get 25 percent off on all of your purchases.Amy Williams#146; column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036. 29961984Roseanna Kocan of North Aurora watches as her 2-year-old daughter Hannah paints a ceramic dolphin at Color Me Mine in the Geneva Commons. The studio will offer discounts on Saturday evenings to customers wearing pajamas.RICK WEST/rwest@dailyherald.com, 2009 ¬