Elk Grove Village acquiring Staples, former Aldi property for potential skating rink
Elk Grove Village is paying $4.5 million for property with a still-operating Staples office supplies store and a shuttered Aldi grocery store, with an eye toward possible redevelopment into a skating rink there.
The 9.7-acre property at 610-620 Meacham Road is encumbered by a Dec. 27, 2019 reciprocal easement agreement that prevents the village’s intended use of the property as a skating rink, according to the purchase and sale agreement inked by the mayor and village trustees.
The closing is contingent on village officials getting an amendment to that agreement, which was between the property owner and neighboring Home Depot, or the village otherwise getting approval from Home Depot to allow the proposed skating rink use, the agreement says.
Village officials have 60 days to get that approval, but could get a 45-day extension, under terms of the agreement.
Mayor Craig Johnson, who previously explored bringing a rink to town, would only say the municipality is buying the building to control the redevelopment process and “get the best use” for the site.
“We’ve got ideas. There’s concepts out there. Nothing’s set yet. We’d rather drive the bus than ride the bus,” Johnson said.
“That building has always been pretty much vacant, except for Staples,” he added. “There’s nothing else there. Before Staples we only had Aldi.”
Aldi moved down the block to 905 Meacham Road in 2018.
Meanwhile, village officials will contact Staples to negotiate a lease termination while a 60-day inspection period takes place for environmental and engineering tests, per the agreement.
A closing with the four limited liability companies selling the property is scheduled 30 days after that.