Microbrewery to replace tool library in Mundelein

Another microbrewery offering on-site food and drink service is coming to downtown Mundelein.

The village board on Monday agreed to sell a former municipal building at 428 N. Chicago Ave. to a limited liability company planning to open Fenton's Brewing Company there. The village also sold the company some vacant adjacent land at 434 N. Chicago Ave.

Mundelein will be paid $450,000 for the properties. Village officials are eyeing Aug. 1 as a closing date.

The building has been home to the nonprofit Mundelein Tool Library for about three years. The organization was told earlier this year that it had to move by July 31 because of a pending sale.

Before the tool library, the building was occupied by Mundelein’s water division staff. It also once had served as a village hall, Mayor Steve Lentz revealed Monday.

The board unanimously approved the sale, but Trustee Robin Meier said she has “serious misgivings” about the deal because it means the tool library’s ouster. On the other hand, Meier said she was pleased the property will begin generating property tax revenue for the village after being exempt for decades.

Trustee Daniel Juarez said he expects Fenton's will be “a great addition to the downtown area.”

The land is within an area of downtown Mundelein dubbed the Bank Triangle that village leaders want to redevelop. The site covers about 6 acres east of Seymour Avenue and north of Hawley Street.

In addition to the tool library building, two banks and a gas station once operated on the land. The village owns some of the land; some of it remains in private hands.

Three microbreweries now operate in Mundelein: Tighthead Brewing Co., 161 N. Archer Ave.; Tonality Brewing Co., 169 N. Seymour Ave.; and Bosacki’s Brewery, 610 E. Hawley St.

All three businesses are in the downtown area; like the future Fenton’s, Tighthead and Tonality both took over buildings that formerly were owned by the village.

Before Monday’s meeting, Village Administrator Eric Guenther said he hopes the collection of brewing businesses will draw “connoisseurs of craft breweries” to town.

In related action Monday, the board agreed to offer the tool library free storage space for its equipment within a village-owned building on Archer Avenue. Tool library representatives may begin moving tools into the space July 15, according to a village memo.