Mount Prospect restaurant, retail project imperiled by traffic issue

A proposed 5.25-acre retail and restaurant development on a long vacant former car dealership site in Mount Prospect cleared a major hurdle last week, but still faces major challenges.

The village's planning and zoning commission gave the proposal for Mount Prospect Pointe, 801 E. Rand Road between Henry and Thayer streets, a positive recommendation to the village board.

But in response to residents' concerns about cut-through traffic within the neighborhood streets to the west, the commission recommended blocking access to the site from Henry Street. Andrew Scott, the attorney for developer Speed-GMX Mount Prospect LLC, said that could put the project in jeopardy.

Located on what the village has identified as a key development site in its Rand Road Corridor plan, the development would include a Texas Roadhouse restaurant, The Tile Shop, an AAA auto maintenance shop and a fourth building on the south end for a restaurant.

Scott said the development would generate $230,000 to $250,000 in annual sales taxes for the village and bring an additional $160,000 in property tax revenue to area schools.

Access from Henry Street on the southern end of the site is critical, Scott said. Without it, drivers headed toward the restaurant at the south end who miss the turn into the main entrance would likely be unwilling to turn back.

"That fourth tenant really makes this development possible. If we don't have access off of Henry, we have a much harder time leasing that southern parcel, which in turn jeopardizes the entire development," he said.

The lack of access off Henry could also cause Texas Roadhouse to abandon the development, Scott added.

"If we lose Henry, there is a great concern that Texas Roadhouse pulls out of the deal, because it gives them an option to say, 'Look you didn't deliver the site plan you promised and so we don't have to go,'" he said.

Residents, who previously voiced their concerns in a neighborhood meeting with the developer, were adamant about blocking access from Henry Street. They said they already are burdened by cut-through traffic avoiding the traffic lights at Central, Rand and Mount Prospect roads.

The traffic is a danger to neighborhood children, many of whom play in a nearby park, residents said.

"Currently we have an unacceptable amount of traffic cutting through," Edward Street resident Jason Fox said. "It's just going to create a traffic nightmare."

Scott said that Henry access had been modified to a right-in only turn in response to neighborhood concerns.

The village board is expected to hear the matter Feb. 20.