Construction and Development: Projects Underway in Wheaton

An interactive map helps you keep up on a few major projects in Wheaton, including Mariano's Fresh Market, Walgreens, Wheaton 121, Aveda, Bricks Pizza and Warren's Ale House.

Patch has been keeping up with development projects in Wheaton, as they've gone before the zoning board and City Council, broken ground and been under construction. Here is a timeline of what residents will see open in Wheaton: Bricks Pizza, 103 E. Front St. Aveda, 109 N. Main St. Warren's Ale House, 51 Town Square Walgreens, 2191 Roosevelt Rd. Wheaton 121, 121 N. Cross St. Mariano's (Hubble), 625 Main St. The map is interactive, meaning you can zoom in, zoom out, or move it around to see all the plotted points. Floating your cursor over one of the markers will give you the name of the new business. Double clicking on the marker will give you more information. There are plenty of ways to keep up with Wheaton news:

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City Council to Consider Courthouse Square Senior Housing Proposal

Wheaton City Council will receive a developer's plan to build senior housing at Courthouse Square in downtown Wheaton.

CORRECTION: Wheaton City Council will not vote Monday on the Courthouse Square development request. Wheaton City Council tonight will receive developer's request to build a senior housing facility Courthouse Square in downtown Wheaton. Council members will vote after the city's Planning and Zoning Board voted 6-1 last month against recommending Council approve the project. Courthouse Land Development is requesting approval of a special use permit to build a six-story, 167-unit senior housing development at Courthouse Square, where developers originally planned to finish a condo development. The project remains incomplete as a result of the housing market crash in 2008. Readers responded to Patch's post on the zoning board vote. Here is …

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Bricks Pizza to Open 'Early October' in Downtown Wheaton

Wheaton's liquor commission will consider the restaurant's request at a meeting Thursday night. Owner Bill Wilson expects to open early next month.

Wheaton's Liquor Control Commission will consider a liquor license request Thursday for Bricks Wood Fired Pizza & Café, opening at 103 E. Front St. in downtown Wheaton. The restaurant is requesting sell beer and wine at the 46-seat, "fast, casual" pizza joint, which is scheduled to open in early October, Bricks owner Bill Wilson said Wednesday. Keep up with Wheaton news by following Wheaton Patch on Facebook, and by signing up for our free daily newsletter. Known for its wood fired brick oven pizzas ($9-$11), Bricks also serves sandwiches baked in the wood fired oven, including a signature Chicken Pesto ($7), soups, salads, some appetizers and desserts. Wilson said Bricks in Wheaton will differ from its original store in Lombard, with …

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District 200 Closes on Hubble Property

District 200 closes on sale. Asbestos removal starts tomorrow and construction on the gyms will begin next week.

District 200 today closed on the sale of the old Hubble school property in Wheaton. The district accepted the offer of $5,000,200 from developer Bradford Equities, LLC last summer. Bradford plans to build a Mariano's Fresh Market on the site at the corner of Naperville and Roosevelt roads, and will begin asbestos removal at the site tomorrow, developers said. District 200 Superintendent Dr. Harris said in a statement, “We are very happy to be finally closing the sale of this property. We are looking forward to the redevelopment opportunity.” Board President Rosemary Swanson called the closing, “an important milestone for our district and its communities.” The property was scheduled to close Friday, Sept. 7, but was delayed due to a …

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Mark Stern

5:12 pm on Wednesday, September 12, 2012

This will not "ease the taxpayer burden" at all. First, most of the property won't be added to the tax rolls - it is going to be acquired by the Park District, which is exempt. Second, remember that the site for the new Hubble cost about $7.75 million, which is of course now OFF the tax rolls, so based on the sale price of $5 million, we have $2.75 million LESS in taxable property than before …   more ›

Hubble Deal to Close Next Week

Park district plans to approve construction bid, final agreement with developer Wednesday before closing on future Mariano's Fresh Market property.

The Hubble deal is scheduled to close next week. The Wheaton Park District scheduled a special board meeting for Wednesday, Sep. 5, to finalize its agreement with Bradford Equities to divvy up the park district's portions of the property. The board will also award a construction contract for work in the school's gyms, parks Executive Director Mike Benard said Thursday. Like Wheaton Patch on Facebook. Then, sign up for our free daily newsletter. With plans to build a Mariano's Fresh Market at the corner of Naperville and Roosevelt roads in Wheaton, developer Bradford Equities will purchase the property from Community Unit School District 200 for $5,000,200. Bradford bought the Hubble property District 200 last summer. The Wheaton Park …

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Visions for Vacancies

What Should Open in the Vacant Retail Space at 124 N. Hale St.?

In a new weekly series, Patch asks readers how they would fill empty storefronts around Wheaton.

A vacant retail space at 124 N. Hale St. in downtown Wheaton is available for rent. Located between Ivy restaurant and Paper House, the space is long and narrow, and zoned for street retail. The 2,604-square-foot space is listed at $3,255 per month—$15 per square foot per year, or $39,060,and taxes are $4.46 per square foot, according to the property description. Business owners can learn more about opening in downtown Wheaton on the Downtown Wheaton Association website. Last week, we asked you what should open in the Wheaton Grand Theater building. The week before that, we asked you what should open in the old JB Winterberry space. Share your ideas for the old JB Winterberry space or, for the Wheaton Grand Theater building. Whether it's a…

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District 200 Creates Escrow Fund for Hubble Sale Proceeds

District 200 creates escrow fund for $5,305,000 in proceeds from the sale of the former Hubble school property, which will be used to refinance district bonds.

The Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education approved a resolution Wednesday night to create an escrow account for $5,305,000 in proceeds from the sale of the old Hubble school property in Wheaton. The funds will be used to refinance the last portion of about $15 million in district bonds, Bill Farley, Assistant Superintendent of Business Operations told board members. The district has completed refinancing $10 million, Farley said. "The last five (million) is tied to the eventual... hopefully quickly sale of the Hubble property." Farley said he thinks the district will end up in better shape than expected in the deal. "I think we did better than we said we would," Farley said. "We're excited. Once we're all finished we can …

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City Council Continues to Mull Downtown Luxury Apartment Project

Developers raise concerns over length of process to gain approval for project.

City officials held off Monday night on a formal decision for a downtown apartment complex proposal. The debate centered on the city's participation in offering financial assistance to the developer, Morningside Equities, as well as assurances the city would be protected financially should the project not come to fruition. Council members differed on the need for a letter of credit to minimize the city's financial risks for laying out approximately $500,000 in upfront infrastructure costs. City Attorney James Knippen said final details of a letter of credit would be ironed out between the city and Morningside's lender, which is investing $42 million on the project, according to Morningside President David Strosberg. With the letter of …

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