Developer to Add Mariano's Parking in Lieu of Business at Roosevelt and Main

Mariano's Fresh Market will build a second parking lot for its employees at the northwest corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Road to accommodate as many people as possible after the store's popularity has taken off in the Chicago area.

Wheaton City Council members on Monday said they'd support developer Bradford Real Estate's request to construct the 136-space parking lot for employees instead of bringing a drive-thru bank or office to the site. 

Dan Farrell, vice president of real estate for Mariano's, said the second lot is necessary to maximize the store's benefits and provide the best possible customer experience.

"(We) have learned a lot about what (the) excitement around Mariano's can become," he said. 

He said Mariano's stores in the Chicago area are acting "completely differently" than any other banner of Roundy's stores, and he hopes the success of other Mariano's stores helps give Roundy's foresight in developing future locations. 

"If we've got a parking (lot)... that doesn't handle the traffic, that takes away from the experience," Farrell said.

Bradford is also proposing new landscaping around the additional parking area to include trees and a row of shrubs to screen the lot from Roosevelt Road and Main Street, according to a city staff memo. The lot would also have a right-in, right-out access drive on Roosevelt Road.

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Wheaton City Manager Don Rose said Monday that city staff doesn't believe the lot would be an "appropriate use" for such a key corner acting as a gateway to downtown Wheaton. 

Councilman Todd Scalzo said he would support the developer's request.

"If it were a drive-thru bank, I don't think it would have achieved the gateway look we're going for anyway," he said.

Councilman Evelyn Pacino-Sanguinetti said she'd support the new lot and looks forward to seeing the increase in the city's tax revenues from Mariano's. 

Bradford Chief Financial Officer Chad Jones said Tuesday that developers are scheduled to start putting in foundations for the store in the next two weeks, and still project an October opening. 

City attorneys will prepare the ordinance for final council approval.