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Another delay for Wheeling Town Center development

Developer hasn't yet reached a deal with Wheeling Park District

Plans for Wheeling's Town Center, a mixed-use development proposed near the intersection of Dundee Road and Northgate Parkway, have been pushed back for at least another six months.

Wheeling trustees heard an update from Village Attorney Jim Ferolo Monday regarding changes made to the plan, set to include a movie theater, retail and residential space, and its projected timeline.

The deadline for a final agreement between the developer, Brad Friedman, and the other agencies involved with the project was originally set for this month. Now, the deadline is extended to Aug. 31, 2016.

With the altered plan, ground likely won't be broken for the project until January 2017, Village President Dean Argiris said.

"They built downtown Chicago faster," Argiris said.

After the initial agreement between Wheeling and the Town Center developer in 2014, Friedman projected a spring 2015 groundbreaking, but the $100 million project has faced delays from the get-go.

The latest setback involves the Wheeling Park District. Friedman and park leaders have not yet been able to work out an agreement on infrastructure for water, sewer and floodwater management for an easement that runs along park district property.

"We're no further along than we were maybe four or five months into the project," Trustee Ken Brady said.

"It's like nobody wants this built."

The development has "many moving parts," Ferolo said. "This project requires the cooperation of several agencies and it's taking time."

Ferolo also told trustees that the village staff recommends Wheeling give the responsibility of maintaining the Metra parking lot, located near the planned Town Center, to the developer.

Once the Town Center is built, the parking lot will serve both its patrons and Metra commuters.

Under this plan, Ferolo said, Wheeling would transfer ownership of the lot to Friedman.

The village would still collect revenue from the parking lot but would likely remit some of it to Friedman as part of the agreement.

Argiris said he does not want to jeopardize the space for people who might park in the lot and commute on a daily basis, especially if they end up not patronizing businesses in the Town Center.

"For the village, it's a good thing to not have to maintain the parking lot," Argiris said. "But the agreement will have to include language to make sure snow does get cleared."

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