Menards set to begin building in Vernon Hills after lawsuit settled
The settlement of a lawsuit is paving the way for Menard Inc. to begin construction on a store in Vernon Hills, more than three years after the project was proposed, company officials said.
Earthmoving at the high-profile site on Milwaukee Avenue at Gregg's Parkway began in fall 2014, but activity has been idle for much of the time since because nearby residents went to court to stop the project.
On Tuesday, the company said it wants to begin construction this spring.
"Although we haven't established an official timeline, if all goes as planned, we hope this new store will be ready to open sometime in early 2018," said Jeff Abbott, a spokesman for the Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based home improvement chain.
With a planned lumber yard and garden center, the project will cover 286,986 square feet. The new Vernon Hills store will be built in a two-story format, similar to one opened in April in Bridgeview. Two-story Menards stores also are in Hodgkins, Melrose Park and Schererville, but most stores are single-story, Abbott said.
Building plans for the Vernon Hills store have been submitted, reviewed and approved.
"The next step is for them to pull a building permit," building commissioner Mike Atkinson said.
The Menards site is one of four lots on the property. A Chase bank has been approved for a lot facing Milwaukee Avenue. Two other lots face Gregg's Parkway, but no proposals have been submitted for those sites, Atkinson said.
Vernon Hills trustees in July 2014 voted 5-0 to approve plans for a two-story Menards on 18 acres at the intersection's northwest corner. A permit to prepare the site was issued in October 2014.
That same month, residents in the Gregg's Landing development to the west filed suit against the village, Menards and Bradford Real Estate Services Corp., saying the store was not a permitted use on the site and the village violated its own guidelines by approving the project. Residents also alleged the project was "inconsistent and incompatible" with the village's comprehensive plan and wasn't the best use of the property.
Meanwhile, site grading was done, access drives constructed, a detention area built and underground water, storm and sanitary sewers installed. Soil at the building site was prepared for a foundation but nothing more was done.
Last February, a Lake County judge ruled residents did not have standing to challenge the project. Residents appealed the finding but the matter was settled in December, according to Joe Morrison, the attorney representing the residents. He said details were confidential. Village Attorney Bob Kenny said Vernon Hills wasn't a party to the settlement.
The controversial project apparently sparked public interest, as residents from Gregg's Landing are challenging for mayor and trustee seats in the April election. They include David Oppenheim, who organized the lawsuit and is running for a 2-year unexpired term.