A move for the St. Charles Burger King could be in the works
City planners are considering a proposal that would move the Burger King restaurant that has been a fixture near the west side Jewel along Lincoln Highway (Route 38) in St. Charles to the other side of Randall Road.
It's not like this Burger King has been in a bad location, but moving over by the Meijer gas station and in front of Lowe's would certainly guarantee that owner Bill Gill's restaurant won't be hidden from public view.
It's all connected to what Shodeen Inc. eventually plans for that entire area, including the vacant land that once housed the St. Charles Mall. With Burger King obviously not part of the grand scheme, it will be interesting to see what Shodeen eventually brings forward to planners, especially since his initial proposal for St. Charles Towne Center had area neighbors and city officials fired up for a revamped plan.
The mix of apartments and condominiums, as well as an open-air commercial area and some green space, raised lots of questions in the past year because of its impact on neighborhood traffic and the schools. Not to mention, the idea of eight-story buildings on that site had a few people concerned.
Shodeen has put together some beautiful additions to Geneva's riverfront and Third Street areas, and he should be able to do the same in St. Charles - when the plan, the economy and community support come together as one.
As for Burger King, the Whopper should be just as tasty on Randall Road as it is on Route 38.
No pies yet: It sure looks like a Baker's Square restaurant, but there's no mistaking that the site on East Main Street in St. Charles is empty and awaiting its next chapter.
That chapter could be a restaurant or "anything the zoning will allow," according to Eugene Noska of Hunter Real Estate Corp., which is listing the 5,397 square-foot building and 79,000 square-foot parking lot site.
"It's pretty much just a wait-and-see approach right now," Noska said. "There are inquiries from time to time, but nothing solid as of yet."
We may miss the Baker's Square pies, but hopefully another operation can take hold at that site and have some success.
Pushing those mags: The start of school does bring about those perennial fundraisers we've all taken part of with our kids.
A student assembly unfolding Wednesday morning at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia has a specific name - Magazine Drive Kick-Off Assembly.
Ellen Slome of Batavia sent me a note to say she's been working on this magazine drive and her research revealed that a subscription renewal through a student doesn't cost much more than renewing on your own. So she's encouraging residents to help the school cause and renew through a student who approaches you about the fundraiser. This would hold true for any magazine drive at any of our schools.
It was chilly: The outdoor music fundraisers last weekend at Marklund and Tanna Farms (for Parkinson's research) had plenty of support and offered lots of fun. But they were chilly enough to be called Octoberfests. People were bundled up in midseason football form.
dheun@sbcglobal.net