Belle Tire soon could cruise into Mundelein

Belle Tire’s continuing expansion in the Chicago area could soon include a shop on Mundelein’s southwest side.

A 9,800-square-foot store is proposed for vacant land on the 2000 block of South Lake Street, just south of a Taco Bell restaurant. Lake Street crosses Townline Road about 500 feet to the north; it’s one of Mundelein’s busier traffic intersections.

Privately owned, Michigan-based Belle Tire has more than 130 locations in the Midwest, including 21 in Illinois. Among them are facilities in Palatine, Naperville, Aurora, Elgin and Carpentersville. One opened recently in Algonquin.

All the Belle Tire stores have similar architectural designs.

With unanimous votes each time, Mundelein’s village board on Monday took several steps to welcoming Belle Tire to town, most significantly directing staffers to draft an ordinance that would create a special use permit that would allow the store to operate. Conversely, the board voted unanimously to direct staffers to draft an ordinance rejecting a request for a taller-than-allowed flagpole on the property.

The votes were cast without discussion of the plans. Belle Tire representatives were in the audience, and Mayor Steve Lentz thanked them for bringing the chain to Mundelein.

“It seems like a real nice fit right in there,” Lentz said.

Final votes on those proposals could come as soon as the board’s next meeting on March 11.

A video of Monday’s meeting can be found at mundelein.org.