Glen Ellyn Trustees Deny Downtown Redevelopment Project

Glen Ellyn trustees voted down a proposal this past week for a $41 million downtown redevelopment project that could have cost the village $7.6 million in economic incentives, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Next Generation was hoping to build a 180-unit apartment complex and a three-story, public parking deck on the property of the recently closed McChesney & Miller grocery store and on a village-owned commuter parking lot, the newspaper reports. The development, called The Apartments at Crescent, would also require closing Crescent Boulevard between Prospect and Glenwood avenues.

In order for the project to move forward, Next Generation wanted the village to pay $1.75 million in public utility relocation, $3.1 million to replace existing public parking spaces, $834,743 to allow the company to meets its yield on the project, $1.91 million to close of Crescent Boulevard and $293,741 to cover a potential shortfall in the project’s budget, according to Suburban Life Publications.

Read more on MySuburbanLife.com

Updated on Oct. 10.

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Photo Credit: McChesney & Miller Facebook page

McChesney & Miller grocery store -- a business that has served Glen Ellyn for over 150 years -- closed on Saturday, Oct. 4, the Daily Herald reports.

The closing of the grocery store will mean DuPage County will lose one of its oldest retail businesses and the Glen Ellyn community will lose its only grocery store downtown, according to the article.

As the grocery store prepares to close, select items at the store were currently 40 percent off, according to a Monday post on the McChesney & Miller Facebook page.

Meanwhile, village officials have begun to explore options for redevelopment of the property, according to the Daily Herald.

In recent weeks, Wheaton-based Next Generation Development presented its proposal to build a massive mixed-use development on the grocery store property as well as on the adjacent Crescent Boulevard and on part of the village’s Crescent/Glenwood parking lot, the Daily Herald reports.

The project would include a 180-unit apartment complex, 5,000 square feet of retail space, one level of above-grade parking and some below-grade parking, according to the Daily Herald.

The project, which is referred to as The Apartments and Crescent, would require the village to close Crescent Boulevard from Prospect Avenue to Glenwood Avenue, according to the Chicago Tribune.

One area business owner, Young’s Appliances owner Laura Young Samuels,said closing Crescent Boulevard could impact area businesses and also urged the village to look at building condominiums, which would encourage a higher-income level to move in, instead of apartments, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Are you a fan of the McChesney & Miller grocery store? Share your memories regarding the store and tell us what you will miss the most in the comments section.

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