Downtown Mount Prospect still waiting for that final piece

In February 2009, Mount Prospect Mayor Irvana Wilks stood by John Heimbaugh and said, "He's still our developer."

Today she only says, "He still owns the property."

Officials have approved two development plans in the past four years, but what will eventually be built in the area known locally as the "small triangle" in downtown Mount Prospect is unknown.

Wilks is the first to admit that.

"For us to move forward would be irresponsible," she said. "I would not be doing my job as mayor. That area still has the possibility to be rebuilt but the economy has to totally reset itself first. That will probably take years."

Heimbaugh owns 15 W. Busse Ave., 19 W. Busse Ave., 22 W. Busse Ave., and 108 S. Main St. He did not return phone calls for this story.

Heimbaugh gained control of the properties when Mount Prospect dentist Errol Oztekin sold all his holdings in the triangle, except for the Blues Bar. In 2006, Oztekin unveiled plans to develop the triangle into a dining and entertainment hub, but he completed only the Blues Bar before opting out of the project.

The village tore down two buildings it acquired from other triangle property owners, and pursued an eminent domain suit to acquire the Ye Olde Town Inn property at the same time.

But a few weeks ago, the village abandoned the eminent domain suit and openly acknowledged the corner won't develop as soon as they had hoped.

Because the Ye Olde Town Inn building at 18 W. Busse Ave. is in the village's tax increment financing district, the village would have to pay property owner Tod Curtis what the site was worth in 2007, when it started eminent domain proceedings against him, Village Manager Mike Janonis said.

The recent economic downturn means Curtis's property is worth less today than it was in 2007, he said.

"Given the current economy and the likelihood of having to pay 2007 prices, it made sense to end this matter now," Janonis has said.

Big plans

It was only two years ago that the board envision towering condos and busy shops on the corner and approved a $40 million town center project consisting of two seven-story buildings and one five-story building. It would have featured more than 100 condominiums and between 30,000 and 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.

But that was then. Something like that just isn't possible today, Wilks said.

"Personally I loved that plan," she said. "But after it was approved in 2008, the housing market dropped like a stone. Pretty much all projects involving housing were red-lighted."

Had it been built, it would have been the crowning jewel on a 20-year development plan. Back in 1985, the area - bordered by Central Street to the north, Northwest Highway to the south and Maple Street on the east - was declared a tax increment financing district, and in 2008 the TIF was extended until 2022, said Brian Simmons, deputy director of the village's planning department.

"For Mount Prospect, the TIF has been a great tool," he said. "It's allowed us to improve the streetscape, landscaping and some funding went toward the public parking garage next to village hall."

In 1985 the assessed valuation of properties in the area totaled $7.5 million. Today that figure is more like $42 million, Simmon said.

Now the area in the small triangle will wait for whatever comes next. And at least it's not an eyesore, Wilks added.

"It's a nice grassy area that we spruced up," she said.

While village officials wait, they'll have plenty to do dealing with the fallout from their abandoned condemnation suit against Tod Curtis.

Curtis is an angry man. After Mount Prospect formally dropped the suit, Curtis released a statement referring to "three years of daily torment" from village officials who he says wanted to take his property away and give it to someone else to profit from.

He pointed to the "anxiety" suffered by his employees who feared for their jobs; and his inability to lease space in his building because he felt obligated to tell potential tenants that the ongoing threat of condemnation could affect their futures, too.

In 2009, Curtis brought his anger to bear in a civil racketeering lawsuit - typically used to uncover organized crime rings and corrupt politicians - against Wilks, several municipal employees and a local developer, alleging they formed an "ongoing enterprise and scheme" for nearly a decade to drive him out.

Curtis charges that village officials "employed endless harassing inspections of the property" and they allowed the Blues Bar, owned by local developer and dentist Errol Oztekin, to be built next door, even though they knew it would damage the Inn because the establishments share a wall.

Wilks, Janonis and other village officials have repeatedly denied all his claims.

On Aug. 11, the two sides will meet to start the process of figuring out how much Curtis is owed in legal fees he spent fighting the acquisition. Janonis estimates that figure to be more than $100,000.

Curtis won't estimate his legal tab but laughs at Janonis' $100,000 figure

"There are so many lawyers involved, I can't give you an accurate figure on that," Curtis said. "It is substantial."

Meanwhile, Curtis still insists he has his own plan for the area that's better than Heimbaugh's. Curtis calls his plan the Gateway Centre.

Those plans are also on hold until after his lawsuit against the village is decided. From there, things are bound to get awkward, since Curtis's plan will then need approval from the village board.

"Until then I will continue making pizza every day," Curtis said.

"He's free to present whatever he wants," Wilks added. "But it needs to be a financial viable project for us to consider it."