Burr Ridge Mayor Tackles Costco Controversy

BURR RIDGE, IL – Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso said Wednesday he understood the concerns of neighbors about a proposed Costco next door, particularly with the effect on home values.

At the same time, he said the CNH Industrial site at 6900 Veterans Boulevard will be developed in one way or another.

"It's too big and valuable of a piece of property – 110 acres in Burr Ridge and DuPage County, near I-55 and I-294," Grasso said.

He spoke at a meeting of more than 50 residents at Village Hall about the possible development on the site, which CNH put on the market last year.

In his comments, Grasso said the village wanted at least part of the development to bring in sales taxes, which is a major income source for towns.

"You don't have to tell us what the negative issues of Costco are," he said. "We won't trade sales tax dollars for a negative impact on our village. That will never happen."

The audience applauded.

In early August, the village issued a news release saying that Bridge Industrial had a contingency contract to buy the CNH site. The initial plan included a number of commercial buildings, including Costco. The chain store would be next to the upscale Fieldstone neighborhood.

In the meeting, Grasso said he was sorry how the information got out. He blamed a Burr Ridge Park District board member for "taking it upon herself" to post the initial plan of the development on the internet "as if it were a done deal."

"People jumped to conclusions," Grasso said. "There is no petition in front of the village. There is no petition in front of the Plan Commission."

Grasso said that given the market, he doubted the development would include office buildings or luxury homes. And he said the village was especially opposed to allowing the site to become a hub for semi-trucks.

He also said Burr Ridge is considering a deal in which the developer would receive the village's next-door public works complex in return for building a new one for the village on the site. That would relieve local taxpayers from the construction of a new complex, which is part of the village's long-term plan.

Over and over, Grasso stressed Costco was no certainty.

"If I were betting on this, the final product may not have a Costco in it," he said. "Costco has a brand. They don't want to come to an area where they are not well-received."

A group of neighbors has formed Burr Ridge Allies in Development, or BRAID. They say they want to stop the development of a retail warehouse on the CNH site.

The group said it has hired a lawyer, David Meek, whom members credited with stopping a Bridge development in Deerfield.

Notably missing from the meeting was Village Administrator Evan Walter. Public records requests revealed that Walter told a Costco representative last year that the chain store was a "must" in the development.

Walter also told Patch in an email in the spring that he had no knowledge of a Costco being considered at the CNH site. His emails showed he had been aware of that possibility for months.