Hanover Park shopping center seeking village approval for new building

The owner of a shopping center anchored by a grocery store in Hanover Park is planning to add a building that would house three new businesses.

The retail corridor at Irving Park and Barrington roads has fared better than the rest of the village's business districts, luring Menards to one side of the busy intersection and Tony's Finer Foods to another in recent years.

In May 2013, the Itasca-based grocer moved into the Westview shopping center in Hanover Park, months after Ultra Foods closed. Despite that progress, developers have exhausted efforts to land a tenant for a long-vacant, stand-alone building in Westview, village officials say.

So New York-based Brixmor Property Group is pursuing a new plan: tearing down the shuttered Bakers Square restaurant and constructing a 5,614-square-foot building facing Barrington Road. The shopping center owner envisions a restaurant, retailer and service-type business filling three spaces.

The village board is scheduled to vote on a measure Thursday night that would pave the way for the project. Trustees will meet 7 p.m. in village hall, 2121 W. Lake St.

Brixmor is seeking a special-use permit that would allow a drive-through on the building's southern side. Village planners have backed the demolition and construction project, saying it removes the Bakers eyesore from a gateway into town.

"Having a vacant old building has not been very helpful for development in that area or for the shopping center," Community Development Director Shubhra Govind said. "We're happy to see a new building being proposed."

Developers have not set a timeline for when Bakers could meet the wrecking ball. But Mayor Rodney Craig said developers want to lock in leases with at least two tenants before breaking ground.

The new building would complement other improvements for the rest of the shopping center, Govind said. Developers also have put together plans to modernize the facade. That work only requires the approval of village staff members.

Westview also has shuffled around several tenants to boost business. For instance, a furniture store moved into the old Dot's clothing shop, freeing up a larger space for a new retailer.

"They're trusting their market will improve," Govind said.