Carol Stream finds tenant for vacant building

A vacant commercial building in Carol Stream will get a facelift — and at least one new tenant.

The former Value City department store building at 1175 N. Gary Ave. will be converted to a multi-tenant shopping center, anchored by Direct Import Home Décor, an importer and wholesaler of granite and cabinets, officials said.

The village board approved special uses for the property this week, which includes allowing the company to conduct retail and wholesale sales out of display rooms and a distribution facility.

The company, which also has locations in Cleveland and Toronto, will occupy about half the building: 9,000 square feet of office and showroom space and 47,000 square feet of warehouse space.

It’s currently the building’s only tenant, officials said.

There’s 16,000 square feet of small shop retail space available, with new storefront entrances built on the west side of the building facing Gary Avenue. It’s too early to say how many retail spaces will be available, since the size of each storefront will be determined once businesses decide to locate there, said Bob Glees, the village’s community development director.

An additional 35,000-square-foot space at the north end of the building is available and would be occupied by a single “mid-box” tenant, Glees said.

An ethnic grocery was considering that spot, Glees said, but it never came to fruition.

The entire building has been vacant for about two years since Value City moved out. Windfall Group purchased the property in March.