After 18-month delay, work resumes on Kildeer Marketplace

Work has resumed on the long-stalled Kildeer Marketplace retail development at Rand and Plum Grove roads.

Headlining the project will be Whole Foods Market, which intends to close its store near Rand and Dundee roads in Palatine after the Kildeer building opens.

Whole Foods spokeswoman Kate Klotz said the store at Kildeer Marketplace is expected to span 40,000 square feet. Kildeer officials said the plaza also will have a Bank of America branch and 13,000 square feet of retail space for rent.

Klotz said each Whole Foods is unique and any features the Kildeer store may have similar to a new operation in Schaumburg such as a coffee, wine and beer bar have not been finalized.

Early-stage work now under way at Kildeer Marketplace includes establishment of Whole Foods' foundation and infrastructure. Kildeer Village Administrator Michael Talbett said the work should be done by year's end.

“Given the rate of progress they're making so far, that'll make that (goal) easily, Talbett said.

Talbett said Bond Cos., the developer, will decide whether to pursue full-scale construction in the winter or wait until spring. Kildeer Marketplace should open in late summer or early fall next year, he added.

Before resuming recently, work on Kildeer Marketplace was halted for about 18 months. Buildings had been demolished and most of the grading was completed when the construction stopped.

Aside from sales-tax revenue, the shopping center is projected to create 125 full- and 105 part-time jobs.

Kildeer Marketplace was pitched to village officials in May 2007. It'll rise on the site of the former Ozzi Waterpark, which was known for a 50-foot-tall, 400-foot-long slide and go-karts.

Talbett said Kildeer agreed to give the developer and Whole Foods a sales-tax incentive to help defray construction costs. Kildeer will keep the first $200,000 in sales taxes generated in a year then rebate 50 percent for everything beyond that amount.

Talbett said he does not believe Whole Foods will siphon customers and sales tax generated from The Fresh Market, an upscale grocery just to the north on Rand near Quentin Road in Kildeer. Similar business often enjoy success when clustered, he said.

“People have their favorites, Talbett said, “and that creates a little synergy.