Residents whose homes may be demolished to make room for a new strip mall turned out at a recent Wood Dale City Council meeting to voice their opposition to the project.
Officials are considering placing the mall on 11 1/2 acres on the south side of Irving Park Road, stretching from Addison Road to Harvey Avenue, said Gail Bedard, secretary of the Wood Dale Homeowners Association.
The project would force the demolition of buildings on 21 properties, most of which are residential, Bedard said.
“Some entities see these as structures, but residents see them as homes,” Bedard said before the meeting. “When their homes are in jeopardy, their lives are in jeopardy.”
“We will do all we can to stop this proposed mall,” said Dominick Abbrescia, one of 125 residents at the meeting.
But Ald. Dave Tolemy said the new development could bring the city $600,000 in new revenue, which could be used for infrastructure improvements.
