Empty Commons Building Sold, Will Include Offices and Possible Cafe

After sitting empty for years, the empty building on the Village Commons finally found a buyer in Trinity Services, the Joliet-based nonprofit group that offers programs for people with developmental disabilities or behavioral needs.

The building has been an incomplete piece to the vision of the Commons, which included the new Village Hall, Public Library and Old Plank Trail Bank. The intention was for the building to be a two-story, mixed-use development with retail on the first floor and offices on the second, but plans stalled after a developer backed out.

"We are simply pleased to see that building completed, and it’ll look so much better there," Mayor Tim Baldermann said. "We certainly hope that it’s just the beginning of things as far as development in the Commons goes."

Trinity Services had been working since September to close the deal in a short sale, and Executive Director Art Dykstra is pleased they were able to do so. He said plans are still very preliminary for how Trinity will use the space, but it will allow it to consolidate offices with the hope of expanding programs.

"That's what we're hoping," Dykstra said. "I feel like i'm sitting in the middle of this giant domino game. There's a lot of thoughtful planning we've had to do, but a lot of it was contingent on getting this building."

With office space moving to the building on the Commons, Dykstra said more space could open up in Trinity programs, and he hopes to expand to offering more day programs and specialty services, though doesn't have much detail yet. He said the second floor would likely house the staff and operations side* of Trinity's community living programs, which are homes staffed by counselors who help anywhere from one to eight residents with developmental disabilities. This allows Trinity to consolidate the four networks it has already located in New Lenox.

The first floor, Dykstra said, would hold the corporate headquarters as well as employment services programs that Trinity runs.

He'd also like to see a Trinity-run breakfast and lunch cafe in the building that would be open to the public. Currently, Trinity Services operates various small businesses that raise money for the nonprofit organization. That includes the gift shop in New Lenox and the Cherry Hill Bookstore in Joliet. Dykstra said such a cafe could potentially employ the people with disabilities who benefit from Trinity's services.

An important factor for anyone looking to open shop in the Commons area is to provide a sense of community, and Dykstra—who have lived in New Lenox for 35 years—looks forward to being a part of the area on the Commons.

"It's just a great community to be a part of," he said. "It was just a natural fit."

Dykstra, who would not say how much Trinity purchased the building for, said he hopes to be moved into the space in 15-18 months. Baldermann said the village hopes to see the area west of the Commons, over to Nelson Road, developed more to continue creating a community atmosphere.

"There’s a lot of property there," he said. "It’d be nice to see it developed into a community area. That’s a vision we all share—something that would really compliment the beautiful land and buildings we already have here."

*Clarification: A previous version of this article did not fully clarify how the space could be used for the community living programs.