When will grocery store finally open?
The No. 1 question from residents in Carpentersville does not involve a certain trustee's position on the village board, but the status of a certain yet-to-be-opened grocery store.
Yes -- people want to know when the highly anticipated Village Fresh Market will finally welcome customers.
Word from village Manager Craig Anderson is that the owners completed the last of the occupancy inspections last week.
With those inspections out of the way, the owner, Gus Tzotzolis, can begin ordering the fresh produce that will line the aisles.
While there is no definitive opening date, sometime in mid-April is the best guess.
The store, at 350 Lake Marian Road, will feature a fresh produce section, a bakery and deli.
New at park district
New amenities are planned for the Dundee Township Park District.
As the park district works toward completion of its 2008-2009 budget, there are a few budget items that should excite local residents.
Though the projects are only in the research phase, park district President Tom Mammoser says all three are expected in the near future.
The first of the trio of projects is a much-anticipated recreation center on the west side of the park district, possibly at Randall Oaks Park.
"Part of what we are doing in the upcoming year is digging deeper into the financial situation to get a more realistic view of the site plan at Randall Oaks Park," Mammoser said. "The board will make a decision in the near future and will determine what amenities might be available."
The board last sought a bond issuance through a referendum in the 2003 election, which failed by a slim margin.
Mammoser said the board and park district have known for some time that there's a need for a west side facility to complement the east side recreation center in Carpentersville.
Another likely addition to the park district's amenities is a skate park at a yet-to-be-determined location.
The board has developed a committee to research the best location for an area skate park.
Once the location and other factors have been ironed out, the committee will seek input from residents and skateboarders to ensure a desirable park is created.
"It is a challenging task to give skateboarders what they want, relative to what we can afford, relative to where we can build it," Mammoser said. "If we build this park, we want to make it attractive enough that people would want to go to it."
Lastly, Mammoser said the park district has entered into a lease agreement with the owners of the Bartels property.
The park district will lease about 54 acres of land, just west of Randall Oaks Golf Course, to build active areas including soccer fields and baseball and softball diamonds.
The board will decide when to begin work on the area, Mammoser said.
"We are taking a serious look at all three of these projects," Mammoser said.