Owner seeking tenant for long-vacant Naperville store

The long-vacant former Kmart and Menards at Ogden and Jefferson avenues in Naperville almost became a bowling alley and almost became an Asian grocery store, the property's New Jersey-based owner says.

But roughly a decade since the building last was occupied, it still is nothing but what some city council members describe as an "eyesore," "disheveled" or a "disgrace."

"It's the single biggest eyesore in the city of Naperville," council member Kevin Gallaher said Tuesday.

But Mark Hoffman, vice president of real estate for a division of Garden Homes in New Jersey, said he and a local real estate broker are doing all they can to get a new tenant into the 85,000-square-foot commercial space.

Hoffman said Kmart constructed the building in 1982 but moved to a larger space in the city. Then Menards began leasing the building in 2001 and operated a store there for about three years before also moving to a bigger facility.

"Since that time we've been trying to find a way of repositioning that store with a new retailer with long-term prospects for the city of Naperville," Hoffman told council members. "We have the patience to wait and do the right thing."

But council member Patty Gustin said maybe too much patience isn't a good thing. She suggested Garden Homes stop waiting for the absolute perfect tenant and compromise to get something in the space.

Hoffman said his company will consider dividing the building if multiple smaller tenants want to lease it, or tearing it down if it's just not the right size or style.

But he said getting retailers interested has been a challenge because the store is not on the busy Route 59 corridor, which sees about 50,000 vehicles a day and recently reopened after a two-year, $90 million project to widen it to three lanes in each direction between Ferry Road and Aurora Avenue/New York Street.

"I don't believe there's any bad property in Naperville, but it's on the less desirable side for a retailer," Hoffman said.

Gallaher, who lives near the property, complained most about its unattractiveness, and Gustin pointed out its parking lot is in a state of disrepair. Mayor Steve Chirico pushed Hoffman to keep working toward finding a new tenant, and he offered city assistance if zoning changes or other creative solutions are needed.

"You can sense the frustration the community feels," Chirico said. "As a council, we certainly would like to see some action."