Wheaton smells victory in suit against retailer
One of the longest running legal feuds in Wheaton may be nearing a conclusion.
Wheaton officials on Monday night trumpeted a ruling by an Illinois appellate court giving them ownership of a building at 109 N. Main St.
The building is one of three in the downtown owned by Robert Sandberg. Wheaton residents most recently saw Sandberg in the news when his clothing store at 101-103 W. Front St. was robbed. Sandberg was hospitalized from the beating he sustained during the crime. The robbers have not been caught.
The city first began trying to take his downtown buildings in the 1980s. Then, as now, the city hoped to take Sandberg's property through condemnation proceedings and resell them to developers in hopes of luring more active retailers downtown. Sandberg took the initial lawsuit all the way to the Illinois Supreme Court and won.
Now, on the third attempt, the city is as close to victory as ever. The current lawsuit was filed in 2002. Sandberg has about a month to appeal the city's victory to the Illinois Supreme Court. In the meantime, the city expects a ruling from the appellate court on its attempt to acquire the 111-113 N. Main St. property.
Should Sandberg choose not to appeal the ruling on the 109 N. Main St. property, the city would pay him $300,000 and take possession of the building. City Manager Don Rose said the city would then put out a request to receive redevelopment proposals from contractors.
Ironically, Mayor Mike Gresk said he believes at one time there was a grocery store operating out of the building. That's exactly the sort of business the city wants to lure to the current site of the small, downtown Jewel Food Store.
Rose said residents shouldn't look for the city to condemn that property because the laws have changed since the Sandberg suits were filed. It's now much more difficult for a municipality to condemn a retail property and sell it to another retailer.
Sandberg could not be immediately reached for comment late Monday night.