Story posted Thursday, July 2, 2009
End Of An Eyesore
K mart Building Owner Agrees To Tear Down Vacant Wheeling Store
The old Wheeling K mart store at the northeast corner of Dundee and Elmhurst roads, vacant since 2002, will soon be demolished.
"We've got a tentative understanding with the owner," said Village Manager Mark Rooney. "Due to the dilapidated condition of the building... he is agreeing to bring the building down."
The store closed during K mart's bankruptcy proceedings early in the decade. The village thought it had a developer for the property late in 2008 when HD Partners announced plans for a shopping area including a 90,000 square foot building and two out lots. However, by December, the company had abandoned the project.
Rooney expects demolition to start later this summer.
"It's going to take him 30 days to write a contract and get the necessary Cook County permits and stuff," he said. The actual demolition could take as little as three days or as much as a week, he added.
Rooney hopes having the demolition complete could lead to future development.
"There are different developers that have expressed interest," he said. "They have a hard time getting financing in this economic climate."
Demolition of the building will lower the owner's taxes on the site, Rooney confirmed. The lot will be classified as unimproved, although it is already listed as a vacant building site, he explained.
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