The Biz Week That Was: Spring Hill mall demolition, Illinois’ climate goals, and retail sales rebound
Spring Hill Mall demolition ahead of schedule and sparking developers’ interest
Demolition work at the former Spring Hill Mall is moving faster than anticipated. With nearly half the shuttered mall demolished, West Dundee officials noted wrecking crews are about a month ahead of schedule. Initially, the village anticipated work to be done by Thanksgiving. Now, they’re targeting the end of October as the finish date. The demolition work is estimated to cost $3.4 million.
Prospect Heights approves land swap enabling hangars to replace hotel at Chicago Executive Airport
Prospect Heights officials have approved a redrawing of the property line between an office building and the site of a recently demolished hotel to enable construction of eight hangars at Chicago Executive Airport. Sky Harbour, which owns the former site of the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Chicago North Shore hotel, swapped equally sized, triangular parcels with the four-story Aviation Plaza building at 1098 S. Milwaukee Ave.
Illinois bet on solar to meet its climate goals. Trump has the industry in his crosshairs.
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans earlier this month curtailed federal tax incentives for the solar energy industry and for individuals and companies that purchase solar panels. The move sent shock waves through the industry nationwide, pulling key incentives for major projects and residential rooftop solar alike.
US retail sales bounce around in a whipsaw trade environment
Consumers picked up their spending in June after an earlier pullback, despite anxiety over tariffs and the state of the U.S. economy. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in June, the Commerce Department said Thursday, after two consecutive months of spending declines, a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May.
Sports bar restaurant part of plan to revive Buffalo Grove shopping center
The new owner of the Strathmore Square shopping center in Buffalo Grove plans to open a restaurant and sports bar as part of his effort to revitalize the property. The village’s planning and zoning commission unanimously favored Manny Rafidia’s plan to open the new establishment at 1236 W. Dundee Road. It would occupy a vacant 14,300-square-foot space on the west side of the center at Arlington Heights and Dundee roads.
Elk Grove Village officials decry proposed closure of hospital’s maternity ward
Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson and village officials have joined nurses in speaking out against the proposed closure of Ascension Alexian Brothers Medical Center’s maternity ward, decrying an ongoing decline of services at the community hospital. The hospital at 800 Biesterfield Road plans to discontinue its 28-bed inpatient obstetrics department and consolidate those services at its sister hospital, Saint Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.