Plenty to see and do at new retail center

A development on Naperville's north side soon will be serving a new array of dining and shopping options.

Freedom Commons, on 25 acres along Freedom Drive just off the Reagan Memorial Tollway, is gradually starting to open its doors.

It will feature several stand-alone businesses -- Maggiano's Little Italy, Morton's The Steakhouse, White Chocolate Grill and LA Fitness. Other tenants will include Fidelity Investments, Subway, Taco Fresco, Einstein Bros. Bagels and a bank.

Freedom Commons is envisioned as a high-quality destination that will have something to offer morning, noon and night, according to Peter Dumon, president of the Harp Group, which is developing the property along with Wm. Krug Inc. He said its proximity to the tollway will make it easily accessible not only to Naperville residents but also to neighboring towns.

"It's a convenient meeting spot for people who have friends throughout the Western suburbs," Dumon said.

LA Fitness was the first business to open its doors in December with others to follow suit in coming months.

The fitness club is relatively new to Illinois but recently opened seven locations in the state with two more on the way next month. Duane Stelzik, operations manager, said the Naperville location already has 700 members.

The club boasts a large racquetball area, pool, hot tub, sauna, aerobics, personal training, child care and great rates and customer service. Monthly rates average from $30 to $40.

After working up an appetite, people can head across the street to Maggiano's Little Italy, which is scheduled to open Jan. 24.

Wyman Roberts, president of Maggiano's, said the commercial and residential growth in Naperville and consumer demand for an Italian-American family-style restaurant make it a good fit.

White Chocolate Grill, a contemporary American restaurant that dubs itself an "honest American dining experience," will put out the welcome mat in February. It will be followed by Morton's The Steakhouse, which opens its 79th locale on March 7.

"We've been looking for an A-plus location in Naperville for the last four to five years, and the Freedom Commons development was the right opportunity to open in this particular area," Roger Drake, vice president of communications and public relations for Morton's, said in an e-mail.

Drake said the Naperville location will have Morton's new Bar 12-21. In addition to the dining room and private boardroom, it also will be the first Chicago-area location to have courtyard patio seating and a temperature-controlled wine room.

Additional shops and restaurants still are being added. A Champps Americana restaurant was part of the original plans but since has backed out after a change in ownership.

With numerous office buildings nearby, Anastasia Urban, a city project manager, said Freedom Commons will give area employees additional lunch choices.

"I also believe it's a destination for evening dining options and other retail coming into (the area)," she said. "That doesn't currently exist in the I-88 corridor along Naperville. This will be a great attraction."