Gurnee Could Shell Out $1.425 Million to Lure Portillo's

Photo credit: Gurnee Wants Portillo’s Facebook page

Gurnee will get a Portillo’s this fall after village board on Monday approved an agreement to reimburse the Mall at Gurnee Mills LLC to redevelop a site for the popular chain restaurant, according to the Daily Herald.

The agreements requires the village to pay up to $1.2 million for utility and other work to prep the site, according to the article. Sales tax sharing would be used for anything over that amount and up to $1.425 million.

Village officials are anticipating the new restaurant will draw big crowds and generate huge sales tax revenue for Gurnee. It will also fill a long-time desire for many Gurnee residents, the Daily Herald reports.

“This deal was put together in 30 days,” Mayor Kristina Kovarik said in the Daily Herald article. “It is absolutely the number-one request I’ve gotten from residents the past 10 years. It always comes up.”

The Gurnee Portillo’s is expected to open in November, making it the third Portillo’s restaurant in Lake County. Portillo’s also has locations in Vernon Hills and Buffalo Grove.

Kovarik posted the following message on the “Gurnee Wants Portillo’s” wall Monday night: ”Signed, sealed, delivered - It’s ours!! The Village Board voted tonight on an incentive package to enable the construction of the Portillo’s at GM. Huge huge thank you to Gurnee Mills for stepping to the plate and creating a spot to save the deal. And an even bigger Thank You to all of you for your sustained support, letters, emails and shares.”

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