Costco abandons plans for former Hubble school site in Wheaton

Costco won't be coming to downtown Wheaton after all.

Following months of talks about the former Hubble Middle School site, the wholesale giant has decided it won't redevelop the property at Naperville and Roosevelt roads, officials said.

"They determined that putting a parking lot in the floodplain was way too expensive." Mayor Michael Gresk said Thursday morning.

The bowl-like nature of the 22-acre site leaves about 13 acres in a floodplain and long has been a stumbling block for potential redevelopment.

Still, Costco considered the possibility of constructing a 135,000-square-foot warehouse store on the nine acres of higher ground located along Naperville Road.

Michael Stratis, Costco's real estate consultant, informed Gresk on Wednesday night about the retailer's change of heart.

"Costco does not do structure parking or two-level stores," Stratis said Thursday. "We could not figure out a way to engineer the site that would allow us to build a prototypical building."

In addition, Costco came to the conclusion the property's floodplain issues couldn't be mitigated or improved with the proposed development.

"We wouldn't want to do any harm to the situation as it exists now," Stratis said.

Neighbors opposed to seeing any "big box" store fill the site said they have a huge reason to celebrate.

"It's obvious that no other big box developer is going to be able to move in there and deal with the water problem," said Michelle Dacy, who lives across the street along Naperville Road.

"If any retailer was going to be able to do it, Costco would have the resources to do it," Dacy said. "And they are saying it's not feasible."

Costco backing out means there isn't anyone waiting in the wings to try to redevelop the property, which is owned by Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200.

A steering committee is expected to recommend a vision for the property. In addition to big box retail, panel members are reviewing three other options, including a mixed-use development with townhouses, a specialty grocery store and a fitness center.

But the last time the steering committee met in May, several members said the panel can't make its recommendation until it knows how long District 200 is willing to wait to sell the property.

The school board is expected to clarify that point, possibly during its next meeting.

While neighbors are prepared to fight any plan for a big box development, officials are hesitant about the site only having condominiums and townhouses because of the slumping housing market.

"I think we have to go look more deeply into options that are various mixed uses," Gresk said.

Councilman Tom Mouhelis said he would like to see "a full-blown supermarket" with a liquor section and pharmacy.

Even though a former Jewel Food Store building is for sale immediately to the north along Willow Avenue, city officials have said it's unlikely the boarded-up structure will be a grocery store again.

Meanwhile, the old Hubble site is attractive to grocers because the intersection of Naperville and Roosevelt roads averages about 50,000 cars and trucks a day, officials said.