THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2007

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City Buys Building On Miner Street

A small retail building in the heart of downtown Des Plaines was snatched up by the city Monday night.

Aldermen unanimously agreed to buy the property at 1486 Miner St. for $350,000. The site was the former home to a hobby store and hair salon.

Des Plaines Community Development Director Mike Conlan said one reason for the purchase is to begin assembling property for potential redevelopment. He added that the Sugar Bowl property at 1486 is also for sale. Also, across Lee Street on Miner, the old Masonic Temple building is for sale. The city has taken steps to determine if that building along with structures to the west up to City Hall could be acquired to provide space for a new police station. A key to that possibility is the potential use of Tax Increment Financing Dist. (TIF) funds to pay for the land purchase. City leaders have stressed that they are just exploring that possibility. The other site under strong consideration for a new police station is seven acres of the Littelfuse property on Northwest Highway.