Comings, goings on Lombard's Roosevelt Road

Some new business ventures are moving forward along Lombard's stretch of Roosevelt Road, while one development has stalled.

Trustees have given preliminary approval to requests for exceptions to village building and sign codes to pave the way for changes at the Sportmart Shopping Center on the 200 block of West Roosevelt Road.

Hobby Lobby on Main Street will relocate to the retail center, and Starbucks will replace an existing kiosk with a sit-down coffee shop elsewhere in the complex. Meanwhile, Harbor Freight Tools will take over the Marshall's space.

However, plans have fallen through for a bank-anchored strip center to be built at the former Lombard Lanes property.

After two years of negotiations with staff and 75 site plans, Centrum Properties withdrew the proposal before an anticipated vote to reject the project on the 300 block of East Roosevelt Road.

Trustee Rick Soderstrom had made a motion to reject the plan, but Drew Friestedt, Centrum's senior vice president of development, pulled the plug before trustees could vote.

"We've spent a lot of time and money and we have a plan that's not acceptable to the village and that's news to us," Friestedt said. "I'm a little bit surprised that the board does not support the plan."

Centrum's original plan was to redevelop only the former bowling alley site and only acquired the adjoining property at the urging of village staff, which indicated the village would prefer a larger unified development, Friestedt said.

The development firm even courted Lowe's for the site. However, finances prevented that from working out, Friestedt said.

"I feel like I'm being blind-sided. There's been a gross misunderstanding," said Friestedt, adding the firm may want to try again.

Soderstrom, who represents the area, said he consistently expressed opposition to the project.

"I was clear. I didn't mince words," Soderstrom said. "The development (is) nothing more than a project we have too much of in our community. The final project is not something I can endorse."

Trustee Richard Tross questioned the number of exceptions to village codes being sought, which numbered at nearly 20 for vacant property.