Elk Grove Village buys gas station, shuttered Sweet Baby Ray’s for $6 million

Elk Grove Village’s board Tuesday accredited purchases totaling more than $6 million for two properties together the Higgins Road corridor: the a short while ago-shut Sweet Child Ray’s Barbecue, and the Shell gas station at the gateway to town.

The $1,150,000 buy of the barbecue restaurant at 800 E. Higgins Street, throughout from the Elk Grove Technological know-how Park, follows its June 1 closure after 16 several years in business. The first locale at 249 E. Irving Park Street in Wood Dale remains in operation.

Co-proprietor Mike O’Brien instructed Elk Grove officials he desired to retire.

Mayor Craig Johnson said he observed out the property was for sale a calendar year ago when his daughter was searching for a position to cater her marriage, and team at the cafe indicated they may possibly not be in business for much for a longer time.

Johnson mentioned the cafe constructing will be employed for long term redevelopment, but declined to give details.

“(We have) some thoughts there, but all over again, we can’t go over it nonetheless,” Johnson mentioned Tuesday night at the village board assembly. “I believe you can be quite happy what takes place there.”

A closing is scheduled for Sept. 1, just after a contingency period that will let the village to examine the assets, which is being offered “as is.”

Down the block, the $5 million acquire of the Shell on the southeast corner of Higgins and Arlington Heights roads now gives the village finish manage of all properties in the Elk Grove Woods Plaza purchasing heart. It follows the village’s $10.7 million invest in of the strip middle, bank and Rose Backyard garden Cafe, and $2 million order of Elk Grove Bowl previous December.

Even nevertheless it was designed with area proprietor Hafiz Yaqoob, the fuel station deal took longer than the other folks mainly because Shell corporate management in Houston 1st experienced to indicator off, Johnson explained.

Now the village can mail out its very long-prepared ask for for proposals to builders for the whole corner. Preliminary plans get in touch with for an apartment developing of 250 to 300 units and 3 to five stories, and a independent retail creating, with the objective of keeping as lots of of the current firms as achievable, officers say.

“We had been holding off — we could not say for the earlier quite a few months why we held off — but that is for the reason that we had been striving to buy the Shell gas station,” Johnson claimed. “It would make no feeling for us to establish that total corner and have that big corner taken out with the Shell gas station. It would make it tricky to do the venture ideal. … Now we have acquired the entire corner so we can do it ideal. We like to do points after, do it right, and shift on.”

A closing is established for Aug. 23, after a contingency period of time for house inspections. The gasoline station may be permitted to function with the village as landlord until the pumps are disassembled and creating is demolished upcoming yr, but that will be established by the time of the closing, Johnson explained.

The shuttered bowling alley — now that the pins and all equipment have been taken out — is established for demolition in August or September.

Following the ask for to developers is sent out this tumble, officers hope the prospective new design begins by up coming summer months.