Des Plaines council could condemn former Leona's building Tuesday
After months of discussions, pleas and postponements, the Des Plaines City Council could decide next week to condemn and forcibly purchase a long-vacant restaurant building in the heart of the downtown district.
The property is the former Leona's space at 1504 Miner St.
The 4,400-square-foot building at the Miner Street entrance to the Metropolitan Square development has been empty since that restaurant closed in 2017.
Mayor Andrew Goczkowski has said a thriving eatery there could serve patrons of the nearby Des Plaines Theatre, attract additional restaurateurs to the area and be a catalyst for more development.
City officials tried to negotiate a purchase from owner Jim Karkazis but weren't successful. They began pursuing condemnation through eminent domain earlier this year but Karkazis has fought the effort with several maneuvers of his own, of which the most recent was an announcement in July that an entrepreneur wanted to lease the building and launch a business there.
Holding out hope, the city council agreed to delay a pending final vote on condemnation until this month.
Whether the council will give Karkazis more time to negotiate a deal could be determined when it meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at city hall, 1420 Miner St.
"We are hoping to get an update from him ... as to the status of his negotiations," city spokeswoman Maureen Stern said.
Third Ward Alderman Sean Oskerka isn't optimistic about Karkazis' ability to land a tenant.
"We need to keep following the condemnation process," Oskerka said. "That building has been boarded up and vacant too long."
The council meeting, rescheduled from Monday because of Labor Day, will be livestreamed at desplaines.org.