Fresh Thyme to occupy former Dominick's site at Fabyan Crossing
The Fabyan Crossing shopping center in Geneva is getting a revamp, with changes approved Monday night by the Geneva City Council.
And that work should result in a new tenant, a Fresh Thyme grocery store, where once a Dominick's stood.
Aldermen approved lowering a berm near Randall Road, and removing many of the trees on it. The trees, planted when the shopping center was built 20 years ago, grew to block the view of the stores from Randall.
Instead, landowner Wauconda LLC will put landscaped islands in its portion of the parking lot. It is also giving more than $24,000 to the city's tree-replacement fund.
It also received approval for larger signs, which will list several tenants.
The news about Fresh Thyme was announced at the council's committee of the whole meeting April 24. It will take part of the old Dominick's store.
Craig Whitehead, executive vice president of the Crown Group, which represents Wauconda LLC, said Crown is close to signing a lease for a retailer to take the remaining 40,000 square feet of the 70,000-square-foot space.
Crown also owns 15,000 square feet north of the Dominick's, spaces that used to house the Plato's Closet and Five Below clothing stores.
Dominick's closed in December 2013, when the chain went out of business.
Whitehead would not say who the other tenant coming is, but he dropped bread crumbs. “I think in the pictures of the signage and the signage on the building (in the council packet) could give you a pretty good clue without me telling you. But it is a national tenant, you'll recognize their name like this and you will be happy to have them,” Whitehead said.
The sign in the packet — which has the word “clothing” in large red letters over the words “ladies,” “mens,” “kids,” “baby,” “home” and “coats” — resembles that of Burlington Coat Factory.
Geneva agreed in November to rebate as much as $5 million in sales taxes to Wauconda LLC for parking, landscaping, sign, roof and interior work.
Fresh Thyme has 60 stores in 10 states, and has announced plans for 16 others, according to its website. Local outposts include stores in Joliet, Downers Grove, Naperville, Mount Prospect, Deerfield and Crystal Lake. The company is owned by Lake Ventures LLC, and Meijer Companies Ltd. has a 100 percent ownership stake in Lake Ventures, according to state liquor license records.