After a failed attempt last year to develop prime commercial land in the village with the help of public funds, owners of the property are moving revised plans forward again.
Representatives of developer Barrington Venture Partnership sat down with village planners last week to discuss a new plan to develop 22 acres at Barrington and Higgins Roads with up to five restaurants.
The meeting Thursday was the first in a typical series that takes place before a developer makes a formal application and pays the associated fees to come before the Plan Commission and Village Board.
Although those steps have not been taken, village manager Peter Burchard said he considered the meeting to be “the start of the formal application process,” demonstrating serious intent on the developer’s part for the village to reconsider the project.
The land planned for the project is a tax-increment financing district set up in 1986 for several automobile dealerships that never came to fruition. Last October, village trustees rejected the developer’s request to amend terms of the taxing district and allow $2.7 million in property and sales taxes to be used to pay back part of the construction costs for the restaurant park.
Burchard said the new proposal is basically the same as last year’s, except that TIF financing is not being requested this time. According to village planning records, the restaurants are Romano’s Macaroni Grille, Friday’s, Max and Erma’s and Lone Star Steakhouse.
