Des Plaines mayoral candidates weigh in Metropolitan Square

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Des Plaines, Metropolitan Square, envisioned to be the key to unlock the city's redevelopment future, is struggling to fill vacancies.

The four mayoral candidates running April 7 have different takes on whether the $65 million mixed-use residential and retail development was the city's worst gaffe or just a victim of the economic crisis.

The city poured roughly $20 million into the joint public-private venture.

"Metropolitan Square at that time was going to be a viable plus for the city," said Dick Sayad, who was 4th Ward alderman for eight years before leaving in 2007 because of term limits.

"It was supposed to bring in all these stores to make our city's downtown a jewel."

Sayad, 65, who owns a computer firm, said stores are leaving Metropolitan Square because residents don't patronize them enough.

"You and I are not spending," Sayad said. "Customers don't come in. If they did, those stores would be viable. The global economic problem that we're having right now is causing us to not spend the money."

Restaurants Jimmy Buffett's Cheeseburger in Paradise, Panera Bread and Potbelly's, and the Shop N Save grocery seem to be thriving, while Cold Stone Creamery, a wine store, dry cleaners, candy store and a discount card and book shop have failed.

Mark Thompson, 53, an attorney and former Maine Township supervisor, said it's not the residents fault that businesses failed.

"It's the city's fault that Metropolitan Square is not working," he said. "We need to listen to the residents for what they want in downtown Des Plaines."

Thompson said the city should have integrated homegrown businesses into the development, as well as luring national/regional retailers.

Ward 2 Alderman Martin Moylan, 58, said the real reason Metropolitan Square didn't live up to its potential is the rents are too high.

Moylan said smaller businesses that were expecting to pay $16 per square foot ended up paying approximately $36 per square foot to lease space.

"It's very hard to operate a mom and pop business with that kind of overhead," Moylan said. "A lot of them were forced out of business."

Michael Lake said what's killing business at Metropolitan Square is not the stores at all, but a lack of parking.

"I personally believe one of the major problems downtown is parking," said Lake, 61, a retired precision machinist who ran unsuccessfully for 2nd Ward alderman in 2003 and again in 2007. "I can't go to a store, if I can't park my car."

Lake said he would work to increase handicap parking spaces in downtown and parking for senior citizens.

While several or all of these reasons may have contributed to the vacancies at Metropolitan Square, the project is by no means dead, city officials say.

"It's a relatively new project," City Manager Jason Bajor said. "When you look at what was there before, it's hard to argue that it isn't successful."

Bajor said many suburban communities are facing similar challenges filling retail vacancies. He said city officials are working with Metropolitan Square's current owner and property management to draw more tenants and improve its visibility.

"The frontage on Miner Street has been a concern and the frontage along River Road has presented challenges as well," Bajor said. "We need more aggressive signage to address those challenges."