Effort to 'change the character' of Carpentersville properties begins

Projects to beautify the riverfront and improve properties along Washington Street are underway in Carpentersville.

A pair of vacant Quonset huts were knocked down last week, and the sites, owned by businessman Tom Roeser, will soon be turned into grassy parks. The adjacent building that formerly housed Milk Specialties Co. is being renovated and partly demolished to prepare for new tenants.

The Carpentersville village board last week also approved spending $555,234 to remove the overhead utilities along South Washington Street and bury them underground.

"It's a very distracting sight along that road with our beautiful riverfront to have the overhead utilities," Village President Ed Ritter said. "(These projects) will really change the character of that land along there."

Over the past few decades, Roeser has spent millions of dollars cleaning up the riverfront, redeveloping properties throughout the area and revamping the land surrounding his business, Otto Engineering, at 2 E. Main St.

"My goal in general around here is to get control of my neighbors to make sure this place is coordinated and in good shape," Roeser said.

About seven years ago, he acquired one Quonset hut that formerly housed a chiropractic office. He bought the neighboring hut in 2015 after its property owner died. Just northwest of the huts, he had already turned a third lot into green space several years prior.

"That whole strip now will be articulated and cleaned up and cute as a button," Roeser said.

Replacing the two demolished Quonset huts with grassy areas may be temporary, he said. He's working with village Engineer Kevin Gray to update the flood maps in the area and determine the land's development potential.

Additionally, about two-thirds of the former Milk Specialties building at 260 S. Washington St. is being torn down in the next week, Roeser said, making way for a new 200-space parking lot to be built this spring. Renovations on that property have been ongoing for nearly three years.

Roeser said he is deciding between several potential tenants interested in filling the roughly 26,000 square feet of available space. About 17,000 square feet could go toward either office space for an engineering company or a restaurant with banquet hall facilities, he said.

Possible uses for the remainder of the building include more office space and a small industrial distributor.

"Several people want to rent the spot, but I haven't been in a hurry. I want them to be the right guy," Roeser said. "I've got to figure out which (tenants) have staying power and which the community would like."