West Dundee downtown properties slated for summer demolition
The redevelopment of a cluster of downtown properties is making progress in West Dundee.
Renovations are underway for a former bowling alley at 101 S. First St., and several surrounding buildings at the corner of First and Main streets have been slated for demolition this summer.
The project, village officials say, is a major step in the implementation of West Dundee's downtown plan, which was approved last year. Otto Engineering President Tom Roeser, who is partnering with the village on the project, said nearby businesses and residents will also benefit from the refurbishment of that corner — the first part of the village visitors see when crossing the Fox River.
“The best thing that a resident can have is a vibrant community that enhances their property values,” he said. “I think this will happen.”
Earlier this year, the village board approved a contract with V3 Companies, a Woodridge-based consulting firm hired to oversee the bidding and demolition for a cost of roughly $14,000, plus reimbursement expenses.
That process is now underway as the demolition work went out for bid Monday, Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said. Properties expected to be knocked down include the vacant buildings at 89-93 W. Main St., the Ace Hardware property at 118 S. First St., the former public works building and fire station at 98 Oregon Ave. and an adjacent old pump house.
Meanwhile, the former bowling alley, which is owned by Roeser, is also receiving a facelift. The structure will soon be turned into a large commercial building with two retail storefronts facing First Street. A roughly 5,000-square-foot space on the opposite side of the building has already garnered interest from a restaurateur, Roeser said.
The Around the Corner Candy store may move into one of the retail spaces in that building, Cavallaro added, at which point its former location at 99 W. Main St. is also expected to be demolished.
Though bids aren't expected to be approved until August, Cavallaro said the village budgeted roughly $390,000 total for tearing down the buildings and restoring the sites.
A proposal for what could become of those properties will be presented to trustees next month. Village President Chris Nelson said the village hopes to add more parking in that area, particularly at the Ace Hardware site, and turn the riverfront parcels into public green space.
“The idea is to turn it into green space in the short term and leave options open for potential redevelopment,” Nelson said. “That green space is a lot easier to redevelop than a refit of the existing structures.”
West Dundee budgeted about $500,000 to implement these improvements, Cavallaro said.
Roeser said the redevelopment project coincides with the renovation of the new Bamboozels restaurant at 101 W. Main St., which is expected to open in August.
“There should be a very outdoor-friendly environment in that section of the downtown,” he said.