If you have an idea on how to develop the corner of 55th Street and East Avenue in Countryside, city officials would love to hear from you.
A proposed development for the site – which dates back about three years – is no longer being considered.
A deadline to resubmit plans was missed. And city officials have simply run out of patience.
In October, the developer – who had been given four six-months extensions since first announcing plans for the Luka Travel Center – was given another extension, this one for three months.
The deadline was Jan. 8 to present a plan to the city council at its meeting that night.
The city council met.
The developer was nowhere to be seen.
And everything is now back to Square One, Mayor Sean McDermott said after the meeting.
“This opens us up to look at other possible developers. It’s back on the market and we’ll look at other proposals that come forward,” McDermott said.
“We didn’t grant another extension, so if they do come back with something, they have to go to zoning,” McDermott said.
Asked what the problem was, he said, “They didn’t get the vendors. They didn’t finalize it.
‘We gave them three months. They didn’t come forward. We’ll continue to have a conversation with them, but they’ll have to (first) go to zoning,” he said.
Plans over the years have included at least two different brew pubs, both of which did not commit to the development. An ethnic grocery store was planned. So was a gas station.
The former city hall sits on the site at the southwest corner of 55th Street and East Avenue. That building would be demolished.
A resident at the council meeting tried to ask questions about the project. But he waited until the end of the meeting, which was too late.
Public comments are on the agenda near the start of the meeting.
“Maybe when public comment comes up, he can stand and ask his questions. I looked right at him during public comment. I asked if anyone wished to speak. He looked right at me, didn’t speak,” McDermott said
Tangled Roots was being considered for the site, but chose to not proceed.
Tapville, another brew pub with a site in downtown Naperville, had been mentioned previously.
As of October, Scooters, a coffee shop, planned to be in the out lot.
A City Fresh grocery store was still in the plans, along with a Shell gas station, City Administrator Gail Paul said on Oct. 25.
The city council at its Oct. 23 meeting agreed to the three-month extension.
“Normally, they ask for six months. They asked for two months to tie up all the loose ends. The city council gave them until our first meeting in January, which is Jan. 8,” Paul said in October.