Neighbors say no to big box in Wheaton

Neighbors of the former Hubble Middle School property say they will oppose any plans for a big box store at the downtown Wheaton site until that option is "off the board."

But city officials insist there isn't any plan for them to reject, adding that a Costco representative who met with councilmen John Prendiville and Liz Corry earlier this year wasn't an employee of the wholesale giant.

"If we have a proposal, then that moves it to a different level of discussion," Councilman Phil Suess said Monday night. "But as we sit here today, this is all speculation as to something that may or may not happen."

Still, consultants Wheaton hired to create a redevelopment plan for the roughly 22-acre parcel at Naperville and Roosevelt roads mentioned Costco several times during a recent presentation for the council.

And the fact that Costco's name keeps coming up publicly is making it difficult for Tom Dacy to sell his home along Naperville Road.

"They (real estate agents) won't even show our house to prospective buyers because of the uncertainly (of) a big box going in across the street," Dacy said.

A steering committee is expected to recommend one vision for the old Hubble property, owned by Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200. In addition to big box retail, committee members are reviewing three other redevelopment options for the property: a mixed-use development with townhouses, a specialty grocery store and a fitness center.

Resident Bryan Childress said putting a big box store at the entrance to the downtown area will create a "blockade" that will only serve the interests of that retailer - not the interests of the neighborhood and the downtown.

"It is difficult to imagine a big box retailer driving visitors to the downtown area," Childress said.

Prendiville, who serves on the steering committee, said he's "not a fan" of having a big box store on the site because it could have a negative impact on the neighborhood to the east.

But it's also been estimated that a Costco store would create about 300 jobs and, after three or four years, generate as much as $3 million annually in sales tax revenue for the city.

And while there's questions about big box retail, it could be years before the housing market recovers enough to justify constructing condominiums and townhouses on the old Hubble site, officials said.

Councilman Todd Scalzo said he's keeping an open mind about what the city should do next.

"It's really a choice that the community faces," Scalzo said. "We have to be willing to accept that property sitting there for a number of years - not producing anything - if we want some other kind of development like a mixed use or residential."

Box: A Costco could create 300 jobs, $3 million in revenue