Lake in the Hills begins to court auto dealers, retail developers
Lake in the Hills' Route 31 corridor is primed for retail development and has the potential for a variety of uses, including auto/truck dealerships, general merchandise retailers, supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants, furniture stores, and drugstores, according to a new study.
The village commissioned a retail market feasibility study, conducted by Melaniphy and Associates, which identifies three potential sites for development along the southwest corner of Route 31 and Rakow Road.
The properties — two of 22 acres each and one of 77 acres — primarily are vacant, commercially zoned and ripe for development. Their location offers good visibility for potential businesses.
Site A has 22 acres ideal for auto/truck dealerships, a grocery-anchored shopping center, restaurants and financial institutions. Site B, also 22 acres, is suitable for multiple auto/truck dealerships or one multibrand dealership. It is home to several gravel pits. Site C, with 77 acres, is ideal for a big-box retail development with a known general merchandise or home improvement anchor supported by other local, regional and national tenants, per the study.
Village officials have been promoting the study to property owners and interested developers.
“We've contacted all the car dealers that are recommended there — Acura, Audi, CarMax and Mini Cooper — including all the dealers in the Chicago area,” said Dan Olson, community development director. “We will do a follow-up with them to see if there is any interest.”
Officials also are reaching out to retailers and will be attending several International Council of Shopping Centers conventions in Chicago and elsewhere.
“Through those we get a lot of network contacts,” Olson said. “In general, we've received some good response. If anybody would come forward with an actual project, it would go through some type of (village) review.”
The 77-acre site, though within village boundaries, is owned by the Cary Park District. It has been tagged in Lake in the Hills' comprehensive plan for future commercial use.
The site currently is open space and part of 280 acres owned by the park district.
“Right now, there aren't any plans specific for the property,” said Dan Jones, park district executive director. “We are in the process of doing our own 10-year master plan. We are hoping that is going to be done around the first of the year. It's definitely the largest tract of vacant land that we have.”
The park district has developed a portion of its more than 200 acres within Cary into multiuse trails, community gardens, a dog park and some green energy practices, including a windmill and windspire completed three years ago.
Jones said officials would want to connect the park district's trail systems to the Route 31 multiuse trail that runs from Algonquin to the border of Crystal Lake, and ultimately to the McHenry County Conservation District Prairie Trail — the 26-mile bike path travels from Algonquin to the Wisconsin State Line.
“Inter-connectivity is everybody's desire,” Jones said.