South Elgin loses Circuit City

Circuit City has disconnected itself from South Elgin, opting out of a spot along retail-heavy Randall Road, officials announced Monday.

The electronics store would have been located within the future South Elgin Commons, the last major development that will be built at the corner of Randall Road and Thornwood Avenue.

Dick's Sporting Goods and LA Fitness health club will still be going in as planned. There's room for one more business.

Kite Realty Group, based in Indianapolis, bought the property from Caputo's Fresh Markets, which originally planned on moving there.

But for unknown reasons -- ones village officials say are likely corporate decisions -- Circuit City excused itself from the project.

"It's too bad that Circuit City left," village Trustee Scott Richmond said Monday. "It doesn't surprise me, with Best Buy down the street."

Kite is now asking to combine the space that would have held Circuit City with another building that has not yet secured a tenant.

Kite also wanted its buildings to occupy 80 percent of the property rather than the allowed 60 percent, and to shrink parking spaces from 10 feet to 9 feet.

In exchange, Kite agreed to keep garbage from public view and address storm water concerns. Trustees approved their plans Monday.

Construction should start on the complex by the end of the year.

Although Circuit City is no longer in the running, it isn't as if South Elgin's portion of Randall Road isn't drawing big names.

Steve Super, the town's director of community development, says the street also will be home to a Jamba Juice, a Panda Express restaurant and a Potbelly sandwich shop.

A Red Robin burger joint recently opened and a La-Z-Boy store unlocked its doors last month.

"It's a prime location," Super said of Randall Road.