Property purchased for new Wal-Mart

Round Lake Beach officials said developers have purchased the 25 acres of farmland at Route 83 and Monaville Road for a future Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Village Administrator David Kilbane said developers sealed the deal for the property last month. With the land purchase officially out of the way, he said, indications are construction is on pace to begin in the spring.

"They've been working through the engineering aspects of the road changes needed," he said. "It seems like they'll be good to go."

State and county transportation officials are asking for Route 83 and Monaville roads to be widened from two to five lanes in anticipation of the future store. Not all the issues have been addressed, Kilbane said, but permits should be completed in the coming month before construction begins.

When the new store opens, he said, the current Wal-Mart at the Mallard Creek shopping complex on Rollins Road will be closed. Developers already have plans to buy and renovate the existing 20-acre Mallard Crossing shopping complex.

Stores currently operating in the center -- Dominick's Finer Foods and other smaller stores -- will move to other retail centers or remain in the same area during construction.

"You might see some reshuffling of the retail deck over there, but we won't lose anyone (in Round Lake Beach)," Kilbane said. "It's really exciting right now. We're anxious to get things moving."

The village expects to collect about $1.5 million in sales tax annually from the superstore. The existing Wal-Mart adds about $800,000 annually to the sales tax rolls.