Community Corner
Here's Your Complete Guide to What's Being Built in Naperville
From supercenters to indoor skydiving, Patch has all of your construction-related questions answered.
Curious to know what that new large building is next to xSport Fitness on 75th Street? Or how about all of the dirt being stirred up next to Cooper's Hawk Restaurant? Well, look no further because Patch has the answers.
We've rounded up some of the biggest construction projects throughout the city and provided all of the details about them in one handy guide below.
Find out what's happening in Napervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Embassy Suites, Conference Center
Where: West of Freedom Commons shopping center between I-88 and Diehl Road
Earlier this year, City Council unanimously approved $7.5 million worth of incentives for a north Naperville hotel and conference center development.
Crews recently broke ground on the development, which will sit on 13.2 acres of vacant land on Arbiter Court, west of the Freedom Commons shopping center between I-88 and Diehl Road, and include a 168-room Embassy Suites hotel as well as the largest conference center in the city.
Four free-standing restaurants will also be located on the property and a fifth restaurant called Brickstones will be inside the hotel.
Under the incentive, developer Lakhany Group Investments, LLC will receive a sales tax rebate of $7.5 million over the course of 20 years to develop Freedom Plaza's 13,000-square-foot conference center, which is capable of holding more than 1,000 people.
A meeting space of that size has been long-sought by the city and is not currently available within Naperville.
A full rebate of the hotel tax and a 75 percent rebate of the retail sales tax in the hotel's conference center is included within the incentive. An additional sales tax rebate of up to $500,000 for the purchases of construction products from local Naperville businesses is included as well.
Find out what's happening in Napervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Main Street Promenade East
Where: East of the Main Street Promenade, downtown Naperville
Construction is underway on a long-awaited $30 million development in downtown Naperville.
Aurora-based Sequoia General Contracting broke ground in October on the Main Street Promenade East, a 55,000-square-foot retail and office project, located at Main Street and Van Buren Avenue, east of the Main Street Promenade building, according to the contractor.
Last year, Naperville-based developer BBM Inc. took control of the development after a previous project by Naper Main LLC fell into foreclosure in 2010, according to city records.
Naper Main LLC originally began construction in 2007 on a mixed-used development along with a 317-space garage addition to the Van Buren garage.
The new building will surround the parking garage on three sides, according to the contractor.
“The retail buildout will extend around and under the parking garage,” said Mike Stengle, president of Sequoia General Contracting in a news release. “Everything on grade will be built as retail space.”
Stengle added that the overall appearance of the building will fit in with the current Main Street Promenade development to the west.
“Naperville has probably one of the most successful downtown retail districts,” Stengle said in a release. “This project will fit in and augment that shopping area nicely.”
During construction, Main Street will be closed through next summer between Benton and Van Buren avenues as the road and sidewalks on both sides of the street will be reconstructed.
Anthropologie, J. Crew, Blue Mercury, Frost Gelato, Hot Mama, Michael Graham Salon, David’s Tea and other retailers will be located in the development.
The project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2014, according to the city.
Walmart Supercenter
Where: South of xSport Fitness, 75th StreetIf you frequently travel on 75th Street in Naperville, you may have noticed a large building being built near Beebe Drive during the past few months.
The site will be the future home of a new 170,000 square-foot Walmart Supercenter, which will take the place of Walmart's current Naperville location, 776 S. Route 59.
The supercenter will be 50,000 square-feet larger than the current Naperville location and will also include a grocery. Walmart will be bordered by Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve to the south and east. The site was previously part of the forest preserve before it was zoned for commercial use.
Earlier: City Moves Forward With New 75th Street Walmart
Under an agreement with the city, Walmart was required to obtain ownership of the property by April 30, 2013, with the store open and operating by April 30, 2014.
Naperville City Council members voted unanimously in August to adopt a resolution giving Walmart a $1.75 million sales tax incentive over 10 years to relocate within the city.
City Council members said approving the resolution was necessary to keep Walmart in Naperville as the retailer had plans to move their new store to Aurora if the store did not receive the sales tax rebate.
The city has said that if the retailer moved to Aurora, Naperville would risk losing the sales tax revenue Walmart generates, which is roughly $500,000 a year.
In the past, similar tax rebates have been given to other large developments in Naperville like the Naperville Marriott hotel. The city has said the incentive helps “prime the pump” for tax revenue returns down the road.
Standard Market
Where: Near intersection of Ogden and Aurora avenuesWith the announcement of many Dominick's stores closing up or being sold, Naperville shoppers may be relieved to hear that a new grocery store is coming to the city near the intersection of Ogden and Aurora avenues.
The site will be the future home of a new 38,000 square-foot Standard Market, a European-style specialty grocery store and restaurant.
A building that was once a Frank's Nursery and later an antique store was demolished to make way for the new grocery. Standard Market also has a location in Westmont 333 E. Ogden Ave., which has a casual restaurant inside as well.
Mayor George Pradel announced the opening of the grocery store during this year's Naperville State of the City address in January.
"Standard Market will give residents a chance to shop and dine all in one place," said Pradel. This specialty grocery store will be at Aurora and Ogden on the old Frank’s Nursery property."
iFly Indoor Skydiving
Where: Next to Cooper's Hawk Restaurant
If you ever felt the need to unleash your inner Superman, but never quite had the nerve to jump out of a plane and pull a parachute cord, you will soon be in luck.
iFly, a 9,777 square-foot, three-story indoor skydiving facility, is coming to Naperville. The facility will sit on the southeast corner of Freedom Drive and Independence Avenue, just north of Cooper's Hawk restaurant in Freedom Commons.
The company currently has 11 indoor wind-tunnel skydiving facilities in the US and eight other locations across the globe. Vertical tunnels reach up to 50-feet high, 16-feet wide and generate controlled winds up to 150 mph, which lift flyers into the air, according to the company's website.
Customers will take an introductory training and safety class before flying and flying gear such as goggles and suits would be provided.
(If you really want to get a feel for it, just watch this video.)
iFly petitioner Bill Adams told city officials earlier this year that the iFly facility would be "a major draw" for the city.
"I think this will be a real good thing for Naperville," Adams said. "It's something that's very unique and it will become a community icon."
Adams said the facility would be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and flying packages would start at $59.95. He added that indoor skydiving is open to anyone from age 3 to 103.
The Oaks at Naperville Crossings
Where: North of AMC Showplace Naperville 16Construction crews, trucks and equipment have also been buzzing in south Naperville as well, especially around AMC Showplace Naperville 16.
The site, located west of Route 59 and north of the theater, will be the future home of a multi-family, luxury apartment complex.
The Oaks at Naperville Crossings will include 298 units inside 13 three-story apartment buildings as well as 600 garage and parking spaces.
According to the developer, Jacksonville, Florida-based Lennar Multifamily Investors LLC, apartment rental prices will range from about $1,250 for a one-bedroom, $1,500 for a two-bedroom and $2,000 for a three-bedroom unit.
The development is within Indian Prairie School District 204 boundaries and will also include a club house, pool, walking trails and retention ponds.
Naperville City Council unanimously approved the apartment development in June 2012.
Did we miss something? Let us know in the comments.
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