No Blue Goose in old Walgreens space in Batavia
The idea of opening a Blue Goose Market in downtown Batavia in the old Walgreens space has come to a disappointing end.
There were just too many challenges to overcome.
"It's not without a lack of trying," said Austin Dempsey, vice president of Batavia Enterprises Inc., which owns the Batavia Plaza at 138 W. Wilson St.
"There were multiple levers and pulleys that have to come together at the right time ... we (BEI, Blue Goose and the city) are just not there."
"I think everybody wanted to find the right way to make it work," said Paul Lencioni, owner of the Blue Goose in St. Charles.
In the end, it didn't make financial sense for any of the parties, he said.
Dempsey and Lencioni had worked on the idea for almost three years, and it became public about a year ago when Lencioni dropped hints on Facebook.
The former Walgreens occupied about 12,654 feet of the 56-year-old strip mall, until it moved across the parking lot to a new building in March 2016.
Dempsey and Lencioni investigated ways to put a larger grocery in the mall, including adding a second story, expanding to the rear or moving other tenants.
One costly factor was the question of whether that second story could be added, due to the ground on which the center sits. It is built over the foundations of old buildings, Dempsey said. The site housed factories from the late 1800s to the 1950s.
The city was involved in the planning, because there was the possibility that it could provide incentives to finance costs, such as utility upgrades and remodeling.
Lencioni, who grew up in Batavia, was pumped about putting a store in Batavia's downtown. The St. Charles store offered yard signs to customers saying "I (love) Blue Goose Batavia." It also helped sponsor last year's Fourth of July fireworks show, and supplied refreshments for the Flag Day 100th anniversary celebration.
Lencioni said he is scheduled to meet with Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke and city officials next week to talk about other possible sites, but is also looking at other communities, as he seeks to expand Blue Goose's business.
"We're trying hard to find something else," Schielke said.
As for the old Walgreens site, "We're committed as we always are to bringing the best to downtown Batavia," Dempsey said.