Thursday, March 7, 2013
The three buildings at 227-231 Burlington Avenue in Clarendon Hills have become an "attractive nuisance" and could be coming down soon.
The Village of Clarendon Hills has gotten permission to demolish three vacant Burlington Avenue buildings near downtown Clarendon Hills, director of community development Dan Ungerleider said at Monday’s Village Board meeting. A DuPage judge has ruled the village has the right to tear down the buildings at 227-231 Burlington, which have become an “attractive nuisance” for vandals, according to village manager Randy Recklaus, and overall unsafe places. “That thing has to come down,” Recklaus said of the stretch of buildings. Ungerleider, who referred to the buildings as a “blight on that area,” said the village is currently working with its engineering firm on getting an asbestos report while planning and reviewing bids for the potential …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The payments will be made over 11 years with money from the sales tax revenue Home Depot already generates.
Darien officials agreed earlier this month to pay a $750,000 economic incentive to keep Home Depot from leaving town. According to the City Council's Feb. 4 meeting minutes, the lease for Home Depot, located at 2101 75th St. in the Darien Towne Center, was set to expire in April 2014. Owners told city officials that they would leave Darien unless that could match the lease term of another property owner outside of the city. "It would have been a huge loss for the community," city administrator Bryon Vana said in an interview with The Chicago Tribune. "It would be difficult to find another business to fill that space." Home Depot generates between $560,000 and $660,000 in sales taxes to the city each year, according to City Council …
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Two sisters and their mom operate Vintage Confections, which ships hard candy all over the world but only recently opened its first retail location in the former Jennycakes space downtown.
Sugar, water and corn syrup are all one really needs to make hard candy, but there’s a lot more that goes into it at Vintage Confections. “It’s an old-fashioned process that we have updated to current times,” said co-owner Heather Kelly, who with sister Cheryl Carr opened in November the custom-made lollipop business’ first commercial space at 102 S. Prospect Ave. in Clarendon Hills. “We put a lot of spin on it.” That “spin,” which shows up in Vintage Confections’ translucent lollipops that at their core feature pictures of planets, cartoon characters, even the Hinsdale Central Red Devils logo, has gotten the Darien natives’ business international attention. Kelly started Vintage Confections in 2008, making different kinds candy in, and …
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
The city will complete up to $300,000 in parking lot renovations on behalf of Chuck's Southern Comforts Café, which plans to buy the old Cornerstone Restaurant.
Plans for a Darien location of Chuck’s Southern Comforts Café took a step forward Monday when City Council preliminarily approved a $300,000 economic incentive. The city would redo the parking lot, as well as work on other exterior projects up to the $300,000 limit at the old Cornerstone Restaurant building on Cass Avenue. Municipal Services Director Dan Gombac said the city would serve as general contractor on the project. The concrete and pavement companies with which Darien contracts have agreed to honor their 2012 prices, he said. Chuck’s would pay the difference if the project goes over $300,000, café representative Jim Pine said. Since Darien would pay the contractors directly, Chuck’s wouldn’t receive cash from the city if the …
Monday, June 18, 2012
Chuck’s Southern Comforts Café, whose Burbank, IL, flagship was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, wants to purchase and remodel the old Cornerstone Restaurant building.
The owners of Chuck’s Southern Comforts Café are looking to Darien as the site for a second restaurant. But their purchase of the former Cornerstone Restaurant building at 8025 S. Cass Ave. is dependent on a $300,000 economic incentive from the city of Darien. Café representative Jim Pine said in an email to the city that without the incentive, Chuck’s wouldn’t be able to complete necessary remodeling, including replacing the parking lot, curbing and driveways. Failure to secure the funding would either “delay or stop the project,” he wrote, because the contract to purchase the building depends on receiving extra help. Get Darien Patch delivered to your inbox with our daily newsletter. Follow us on Facebook. Owner and chef Chuck Pine, who…
Friday, May 25, 2012
The council voted on a document Monday that outlines how exactly the city will pay out the sales tax rebate that aids in the Darien Walmart's expansion into a Super Walmart.
City Council voted Monday to approve a document clarifying the payment terms for economic incentives the city is set to deliver to Walmart and Inland Southeast Darien. The document doesn’t change the terms of the original agreement, but the resolution accompanying the document said it “will assist the long-term process and eliminate any potential disputes” over cash flow. In April the city agreed to pay $2 million each to Walmart and Inland in the form of a rebate on sales tax collected once the Darien Walmart expands into a super-sized store. The companies requested the incentive to help offset costs associated with the development. Walmart and Inland will collect sales tax that the Super Walmart generates beyond a base of $882,628, …
41.751261
-88.000253
Walmart
2189 75th St, Darien, IL
/articles/city-clarifies-walmart-economic-incentive-payment-terms
1352155
/locations/7082424
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The store refused to restrict its trucks to exiting from only the west side because they said no other stores in the strip mall faced such a rule.
Walmart is unwilling to include a condition in a development agreement that would require its trucks to enter and exit from a drive on the west side of the Darien Towne Center strip mall, city officials said Monday. Ward 6 Alderman Sylvia McIvor, as well as several residents, said at the City Council meeting that they were concerned about Walmart’s refusal to accommodate that request. “I think it’s just a little thing that would give (nearby residents) peace of mind that Walmart is going in there with its neighbors in mind,” McIvor said. The proposed condition would have been attached to an ordinance up for City Council vote Monday regarding the transfer of about 1.2 acres of property to Walmart. Luis Navarro lives on Wilton Avenue behind …
41.751261
-88.000253
Walmart
2189 75th St, Darien, IL
/articles/walmart-says-no-to-limiting-truck-exit-points-from-darien-towne-center
1352155
/locations/7070420
Friday, May 18, 2012
Got something to say? Send a letter to the editor of 300 words or fewer to lauren.williamson@patch.com.
- OPINION
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Friday, May 18, 2012
The narrower parking spaces wouldn't be so bad if the parking was at an angle and one could pull in easier. But right now the Walmart spaces are straight in - as in a right angle - and it's more difficult to pull in. I prefer the angled spaces such as in the Jewel parking lot on Cass Ave near 75th Street. However, if they changed the paint lines to angled parking they would lose that extra advantage of the spaces gained by putting in narrower spaces. Sharon Bulthuis Darien, IL -- Related: Parking Space Dimensions Spur Debate at Walmart Zoning Hearing
41.751261
-88.000253
Walmart
2189 75th St, Darien, IL
/articles/letter-to-the-editor-angled-parking-would-make-slim-walmart-spots-ok
1352155
/locations/7047427
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Developers want to reduce the size of spots in the Darien Towne Center lot from 10-feet wide in some places to 9.5 feet in front of the new Walmart store.
It’s subtle, but cars have a little more breathing room when they pull into many parking spaces in Darien. The city’s zoning ordinance prescribes a minimum width of 10 feet for parking spots, which is relatively unusual for the area. Bolingbrook, Naperville, Burr Ridge and Downers Grove, for example, all set their minimum parking space width at 9 feet. But the decision to recommend giving up a few extra inches in the Darien Towne Center lot was not one the Planning and Zoning Commission took lightly Wednesday. “It’s one of the things that makes it nice to shop in Darien,” Commissioner Donald Hickok said. “You can get in and out of your vehicle.” The commission nonetheless voted 6-1 to recommend that the city allow Walmart and Inland …
41.751261
-88.000253
Walmart
2189 75th St, Darien, IL
/articles/parking-space-dimensions-spur-debate-at-walmart-zoning-hearing
1352155
/locations/7037690
Thursday, May 10, 2012
We've rounded up ads from local businesses that are hiring.
Need a job? Darien Patch is here to help. We’ve rounded up a list of local job ads to aid you in your search. If you’re the one doing the hiring, post an ad here, or write about the position in the comments below. Most job ads provided by indeed.
Peg Vahldieck
8:40 am on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Good luck, gals. Wonderful article!! more ›