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Big R might be coming soon to Lake in the Hills

Big R, a throwback traditional department store, wants to take over the vacant Dominick's property at the northeast corner of Algonquin and Randall roads in Lake in the Hills.

Central Big R Stores, Inc.,- originally Illinois Big R Stores started by Bill and Pat Crabtree in 1964 - opened its first store in Watseka, Illinois. The company now has 18 retail stores in northern Indiana and central and northern Illinois, including one in McHenry that opened in November. Members of the Crabtree family still help operate the business.

Farm and ranch store owners in the western states started the Big R brand name. The Big R group is comprised of 12 independent owners with more than 75 stores nationwide, according to the company's website.

Big R stores are a one-stop shop for everything, including apparel for men, women and children, lawn and garden supplies, sporting goods, farm and livestock, automotive and pet care products.

BBK Properties LLC and the former Dominick's property owner have agreed on a roughly $4.3 million purchase price for the site at 101 N. Randall Road, in the Center at Lake in the Hills shopping center. Big R proposes leasing the property from the new owner. The entire project is expected to cost $7.8 million, documents show.

George Hahne, Lake in the Hills economic development coordinator, said he has been in discussions with the retailer for 10 months.

Village officials met with the developer Monday to work on detailed plans for the property. The developer is seeking to renovate and expand the existing building by adding 8,000 square feet on the north side for a total footprint of 80,000 square feet.

The project is expected to create 45 full-time jobs and generate additional sales tax revenue for the village of roughly $160,000 yearly, documents show.

The village board's committee of the whole Tuesday is expected to review a $500,000 incentive package for the developer to help offset renovation costs.

Big R stores in Homer Glen and McHenry were given sales tax sharing incentives of $322,000 and $400,000, respectively. The developer's $500,000 request from Lake in the Hills is justified by the higher cost of purchasing the Dominick's property and an estimated $2.1 million in anticipated renovation costs, according to village documents.

In 2014, the village adopted an economic incentive policy to help promote new investment from restaurants and independent small businesses looking to locate in areas where existing buildings require upgrades or remodeling.

The Dominick's closed in early 2014 and two other retailers eyeing the site backed out of the deal. Work on the Big R store would be done over the summer with the goal of opening by mid-October.

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