Finally, progress at downtown Libertyville site

Since the Bonzai Motor Sports building collapsed in a storm more than four years ago, the property owner has had big plans for the prominent corner in downtown Libertyville.

Village leaders, too, have been eager to see some improvement at the vacant and scruffy-looking intersection at Milwaukee Avenue -- a main commercial corridor -- and Lake Street.

After two years of give-and-take with the village on a variety of issues, foundations are being built for what will be a new mixed-use building to include up to four restaurants and luxury penthouses with roof-top patios.

"Currently we are working double crews to get under roof before winter," said Colleen White, sales and project manager for JTEH LLC, the company formed by owner Joe Tremont to develop the project.

Exterior walls are expected to go up in a week or so, White said.

Manchester Square will be a three-story building designed to look like several individual structures with an old-time feel.

White says the seven top-floor penthouses, priced from $625,000 to $1.25 million, sold within three weeks of being put on the market.

Second-floor use hasn't been determined, although there has been strong interest from office users, she said.

Ground-floor tenants so far include Egg Harbor and Tommy's Pizza.

"Our location is a very strong point," she said.

But it has been a long time coming, as the ground has a distinct slope. It also involved three connected properties.

"It was a very difficult site to figure out," said John Spoden, the village's community development director.

"It's truly a puzzle with the different elevations and number of existing buildings. That was a challenge for their architect and us to make sure it worked."

While the corner is on the way to a welcome transformation, the addition of three or more new restaurants raises the possibility there may be more demand than available parking spaces.

Last week, the village board approved a plan for a building addition at 547 N. Milwaukee Ave., just south of Manchester Square. That also could become restaurant space.

A parking study completed in late 2005 showed a deficit of 101 spaces during the summer months in the main commercial area on either side of Milwaukee Avenue.

Building a parking garage at a cost near $6 million was one recommendation.

While the village is pursuing a deck on land it owns about a block west of downtown, the 2009 target date may be too late to avoid a crunch if all the planned restaurants open before that.

Rick Jansen, a part owner of The Tavern and Firkin restaurants on the same block, says the village needs a more realistic approach to parking requirements.

While he welcomes the new restaurants as good for business overall, customers will stay away if parking is severely limited, he contends.

"Can Libertyville deal with 650 new restaurant seats arriving approximately all at the same time?" he asked.

Village Trustee Bob Peron agreed the village code is deficient when it comes to restaurant parking and is working to change it. The parking deck is another priority. The village board is tentatively scheduled to address those issues in a work session Sept. 18.

"We're making a big push to get this parking garage going," Peron said.