With redevelopment stalled, Des Plaines officials considering condemning, buying downtown properties
With private redevelopment efforts stalled, Des Plaines officials may condemn and forcibly acquire two vacant commercial buildings in the downtown area.
One property, at 1504 Miner St., used to be a Leona's restaurant. The other is a few blocks away at 678 Lee St. and formerly was a Huntington Bank.
City officials have been trying to negotiate a purchase deal with the owners but haven't reached agreements, documents indicate.
The city council on Tuesday could vote to pursue forcing a sale in court through eminent domain if final purchase offers are rejected. Officials hope to avoid that controversial land-grab maneuver.
"The city intends to make a best and final offer in an effort to acquire the subject property at a fair price in a voluntary transaction," city attorney Peter M. Friedman wrote in a memo to aldermen and Mayor Andrew Goczkowski.
The proposed purchase prices weren't included in city documents. Offers typically are kept confidential until deals are finalized.
Once a popular joint for pizza and other Italian fare, Leona's closed in 2017. The one-story, 4,400-square-foot building is at the Miner Street entrance to the Metropolitan Square development.
A Chicago company proposed opening a cannabis dispensary there in 2021, but aldermen rejected the plan after considerable public opposition.
The bank closed in 2019. The three-story building occupies the corner of Lee Street and Ellinwood Avenue and contains about 18,400 square feet of space, real estate records indicate.
City officials have been focused on revitalizing the downtown area, spending millions to renovate the Des Plaines Theatre and, more recently, working with consultants to develop amenities that could attract more people to the languishing Metropolitan Square.
Forcibly purchasing the property if the current owners won't negotiate sales "sends a message that we're committed to growing the downtown and moving the city in a good direction," Goczkowski said.
Tuesday's council meeting is set for 7 p.m. at city hall, 1420 Miner St. You can view it live online at bit.ly/3vm54o3.