THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2008
A Towering Development
$40 Million Downtown Plan Tees Off Trustee
By RICHARD MAYER
Journal Reporter
Mt. Prospect officials announced this week plans for a $40 million redevelopment of village's downtown triangle, bounded by Busse Avenue, Elmhurst Road and Northwest Highway, will be presented at next Tuesday's Committee of the Whole meeting (Mar. 11).
However, Trustee Paul Hoefert expressed concerns at Tuesday's Village Board meeting, over sourcing of the current developer and "lack of public comment and progress around the choice of the developer or development of the downtown parcel."
The project is headed by Blues Bar owner Errol Oztekin and Skokie-based Heimbaugh Capital Development Corp.
The proposed project includes a mixed-use development of residential and retail, focusing on restaurants and entertainment.
Oztekin used to be a private developer and wanted to redevelop the entire triangle when he began construction on the Blues Bar. However, over time, he partnered with Heimbaugh, and eventually was bought out by the development company. He remains a partner in the development.
Hoefert emphasized the board was "delivered a developer," instead of going to the development community with a Request for Proposal (RFP), which the board has done numerous times, he said.
"The proposed development is quickly moving out of proposed status," said Hoefert. "This development is now essentially being handed to the citizens of Mt. Prospect as the one and only development option."
Hoefert went on to say this process has been a "major, unprecedented deviation" from the public downtown re-development process that the Village has carried out over the last two decades.
According to Hoefert, with one exception in recent years when the village gave a developer an option to purchase a parcel in the downtown area, the village has required numerous development proposals through the RFP process.
Then, once the public had the opportunity to view plans and chime in with their thoughts and opinions, the village would continue the process and the developments would be constructed, Hoefert said.
"As far as I am concerned, we have not been true to the public process which we hold in such high esteem in this town," said Hoefert. "In my opinion, this has not been the right way to do this and I am very concerned and upset."
When the public sees the plans for the project next week, Hoefert said the public will notice two tall residential towers, where once a proposed low-to-moderate scale development designated as an "entertainment district" was originally planned.
In addition, the proposed development will also include 35,000 sq. ft. of retail with no "on street" parking, with Busse Avenue completely removed from the designs.
To access stores, residents would be required to park in the nearby parking garage and walk to their destination.
"This design is a throw back to the 1970s, a design concept which failed miserably and gave birth to the contemporary lifestyle center retail concept," Hoefert emphasized. "We should learn from the success of the lifestyle center concept. Easy access is key."
Hoefert believes the small triangle development process was "flawed" from the beginning. He also said if this development moves forward, residents of Mt. Prospect will also have a maximum $10 million tax subsidy of this one project.
Hoefert said he would like the board to step back and open the process to the development community, solicit numerous proposals for plans that residents of the community might be interested in seeing in the downtown area, and then solicit public comment on every proposal.
"Our citizens do not want to see more overbuilt, large scale condo building developments in the downtown," said Hoefert. "Bottom line, all I want for the people of Mt. Prospect is an open, forthright process with the elements of choice."
Oztekin said Heimbaugh has been working with trustees on this development since December 2006, so he is unsure why Hoefert has concerns now.
"Meetings have been conducted on a weekly basis since 2006 to get this plan going," said Oztekin. "It's not like this all of a sudden came out of left field."
Oztekin also said he has worked on this plan for three years and he has received positive feedback from many of the current board members.
"Trustee Hoefert has made his own assumptions about the designs, but when the plans are unveiled Tuesday, people will be pleased," said Oztekin. "Mt. Prospect will be a force to reckon with once this development is complete."
The village has been trying to acquire property from Ye Olde Town Inn owner Tod Curtis, who currently owns the building next to the Blues Bar. The redevelopment plan has been hindered due to eminent domain proceedings with Curtis and condemnation issues with the Meersman family, which also owns property in the triangle.
"When we are successful with the eminent domain, we (village) will be the largest land owners in town, not Heimbaugh," Hoefert added.
Curtis has his own plans for the area that are similar to Oztekin's in some aspects, but also differ in other ways.
Curtis' Gateway Centre plan calls for a 7-story "green" development to be built on his current Busse Avenue property that, he said, will provide street level dining, entertainment and retail.
In addition, floors 3 through 6 will provide residential space with a secured rooftop park and underground parking.
Frank Salato, Curtis' spokesman, said they were unaware that a "major" ownership and development change had occurred.
"It is very troubling that the Village continues to exclude me from their private discussions with developers and if the Village unveils plans that show anything on my property that is not being built by my family, then surely there cannot be any doubt left that the mayor and trustees always intended to steal my property so someone else can profit from it," said Curtis. "If anyone is going to profit from my 40 years of hard work, it will be me and my family."
The Journal learned that Curtis's project management firm representative, Richard Valentino, president of Arlington Heights-based Corporate Counsel Solutions, expected to submit their application today (Friday), or Monday at the latest, to re-develop the triangle.
According to Curtis, his plans would generate between $2.75 million-$3.5 million in revenue annually.
"Each development is different and this triangle is the hardest to develop, because there are so many owners and issues and surrounding streets," said Mayor Irvana Wilks.
Oztekin's plans are expected to be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission on Thursday, Mar. 27.