Menards Plans For New Lenox Still In Limbo

NEW LENOX, IL - Even though New Lenox continues to grow, some village board members are growing frustrated with the stalled Menards project on Route 30. At last week's village board meeting, trustee David Butterfield decided to put New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann on the spot. Toward the end of the meeting, Butterfield told the mayor that he continues to be asked by his constituents about the status of the Menard's development along Route 30 near the Walmart store.

"Is there any news on Menards?" Butterfield asked. "Is there anything new in the past year?"

Mayor Baldermann responded by saying, "Well, I think what I can say is there are other properties that Menards has gotten rid of and (they) have kept ours. They have a large investment up at that site as we all know. But from a business standpoint, it has to make sense. I know everybody wants it tomorrow, but Menards is going to do what's best for Menards, and we can completely understand that."

Baldermann also told Butterfield, "You know, everybody also wants 16 new restaurants tomorrow that they can go to once a year."

Butterfield told the mayor, "people keep asking me about Menards."

"Well, put it this way," Baldermann explained, "there are a lot of communities that are no longer in the game, the game we are still in. What that means, I don't know, but for now, they are still looking at our site."

File image via Lorraine Swanson, south suburban Patch Editor