Mayor Schielke talks what's up in Batavia at chamber breakfast

Sales of existing homes are up, as is construction of new homes. Someone is interested in redeveloping the former Avenue Motors site on Randall Road. And a downtown gasoline station wants to add a drive-up Dunkin' Donuts store.

Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke talked about these matters and more Thursday during his annual state of the city address to the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.

Among the good news was the announcement that the section of Houston Street from Batavia to Island avenues should be open by the weekend. That drew major applause. It has been closed since August while being rebuilt, including renovations to sidewalks and the path near Depot Pond. The landscaping won't be done until spring, he said.

But once again, he had to talk about a once-again-empty Golden Corral restaurant. "The most common question asked in Batavia today, and one of the most obvious, is 'What happened to the Golden Corral?' " Schielke said.

The restaurant shell was built in 2010 but sat empty for several years, with Schielke telling the chamber members every year it was going to open "soon." It did in 2012 but closed suddenly in September due to the late-2014 death of its owner, and subsequent foreclosure.

Schielke said the Golden Corral corporation has not decided whether to try to get another franchisee to buy the site.

As for Avenue Motors, Schielke said the developer who built the Wal-Mart/Sam's Club development at Fabyan Parkway and Randall now has an option to buy the former dealership at McKee Street and Randall.

The dealer, which had been in business in Batavia for 81 years, closed in 2011, two years after Chevrolet withdrew its product. Schielke said city officials are working with the owners of properties to the south on extending access drives to the site, which only has access off McKee.

Schielke also spoke about the construction of the Speedway gasoline station on Kirk Road at Wilson Street, and what will happen to the old Walgreens store on Wilson, once the new one opens next year.

He noted that the Blue Goose Market of St. Charles is interested in opening a second locale in the space. "Paul Lencioni (president of the grocery store) is here. Stand up so everybody can see you and can grab you afterward," Schielke said, drawing a laugh.