Residents Can Attend "Advance Presentation" of Hubble Site Plans

Representatives from the Wheaton Park District, Bradford Equities LLC and engineering firm V3 Infrastructures next Saturday will present plans for the future of the old Hubble school site for curious neighbors and Wheaton residents.

The sent 270 invitations to neighbors in close proximity of the development Wednesday for an “advance presentation” of the project plans for upgraded facilities and a Mariano's Fresh Market, which will be presented to City Council at a planning session Monday, Feb. 13.

Jim Kozik, director of economic development for the City of Wheaton said city staff expects Bradford, the site's developer, to submit its completed application Friday for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval for the property. 

“We want neighbors to know what the project will provide and what it is not going to provide,” Mike Benard, executive director of the Wheaton Park District, said of the Jan. 21 meeting.

The 22.6-acre property will be subdivided into seven lots, according to a letter Bradford, the site's developer, wrote to the city to outline its plans. Lot one will contain the 70,000 square-foot Mariano's Fresh Market and a 300-car parking log; lot six, currently Central Park, located at the northwest corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Road, will be developed in the future by Bradford. located on a portion of Central Park. The Wheaton Park District will own the other lots.

The park district will buy the site's north building containing the gyms from Bradford, which has the property under contract from Community Unit School District 200 for $5,000,200 since June 30. Bradford will donate to the park district the site's open space, where the district will update the portion of the property containing athletic fields, Benard said. 

The green space at the northeast corner of Main Street and Roosevelt Road will become a formal garden park, serving as the “gateway” to downtown Wheaton, according to the letter. The park district will swap Bradford the "gateway" land for the southeast corner of Central Park, Benard said. Landscaping and ornamental horticulture installation will be completed by park district staff over two years after Mariano's opens in 2013, according to a letter Bradford wrote to the city Jan. 12.

The south wall of the gymnasium building will require some repair subsequent to demolition of the school building. Utility connections will be reworked to connect to the gym building, and new heating ventilation and air conditioning will be installed.

He said he hopes work on the gyms, which is the district's top priority, will take place between July and December 2012 so they are ready for winter indoor sports season. 

The letter also outlined the following site plans:

Loading

Loading docks, trash compactors and panel truck loading will be located on the north side of the Mariano’s building. The loading area would be on an angle to allow trucks to access the area. Trucks would travel west on Roosevelt Road, turn right on Naperville Road and left into the site’s access road.

Landscape

The redevelopment will require the removal of 42 trees from the property. Ninety-two trees will be replanted to compensate for the number of larger trees that were removed, said Kozik. 

Access/traffic

Two driveways, one on Main Street and one on Naperville Road, will provide access to the access road that will be built for loading behind Mariano’s. Bradford has proposed one right-in/right-out drive on Roosevelt Road to provide access to the store.

The following roadway and traffic control improvements are proposed:

• Naperville and Roosevelt roads: extend the southbound right turn lane on Naperville Road at Roosevelt Road north of the proposed full access driveway. Right-of-way will be reserved as part of the development on the west side of Naperville Road, north of Roosevelt Road, to allow for future widening of Naperville Road when the county reconstructs the intersection.
• Roosevelt Road: A westbound right-turn lane will be provided on Roosevelt Road at the proposed restricted access serving the Mariano’s development.
• Naperville Road: Northbound left turn lane at intersection with proposed access driveway to facilities.

Mariano’s operations

Mariano’s will be a full-service grocery store that employs approximately 425 people, open from 6 a.m. to midnight seven days a week, offering the following: Produce, meat and seafood, bakery, deli, sushi, demo station, specialty, café, frozen, dairy, wine/spirits, center store and flowers.

According to the letter the estimated cost of the Mariano’s building is $10,500,000. Bradford’s additional costs for demolition, environmental cleanup, detention facilities, grading, a parking lot, landscaping and utilities are approximately $5,500,000, according to the letter.

Ray Morrill, president of the park district board of commissioners said in May the park district will spend no more than $6 million on the property.

Costs for the park district gym building will be approximately $3,000,000 for a new gym wall, building upgrades, mechanical units, a roof and building utilities. The gym building site, which will have a new parking lot, walkways and landscaping, will cost approximately $1,000,000.

The informational meeting is open to residents, and will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21 at the , 102 Wesley Street, Wheaton. To RSVP, contact Donna Sicilliano at dsicilliano@wheatonparks.org.