Deer Park, the northwest suburb that only recently posted signs notifying motorists of its village limits, will shortly celebrate another first — a fireworks show to announce the opening of the Deer Park Town Center.
With more than 50 shops, the mall should put the small community on the map of many shoppers. Add that fireworks display taking place Sunday and a performance by Ray Charles, and Deer Park could emerge on many northwest suburbanites’ radar screens.
But the open-air shopping center’s presence on Rand Road is more than just a new place for Barrington-area residents to pick up cookware or an outfit. It illustrates the transformation of Deer Park from a mostly residential community to the future home of a Motorola Inc. office campus that will employ nearly 3,000 people by 2002.
Hamilton Partners of Itasca also has won approval to build eight office buildings there.
“It’s a very exciting time,” said Deer Park Village President Richard Karl.
All three major developments are in a 330-acre parcel known as “the triangle.” Bordered by Quentin, Rand, Long Grove and Lake-Cook Roads, the property is in the southeastern end of town in an area that used to be farm fields.
A recent hookup of water and sewer service made the land increasingly attractive to developers who bombarded the Village Board with a flurry of proposals. The mall and Hamilton Partners’ plans were approved last year. Motorola’s proposal was approved earlier this year.
The developments have raised concern with some residents who worry that they will change the quiet nature of the town and generate traffic problems. Roadwork associated with the mall, for example, caused traffic headaches for some people this summer, according to a few local merchants.
But village sales-tax revenue from the mall presents an opportunity to help boost village coffers.
While Deer Park still contracts police and fire service from other communities, it bought a farm on Cuba Road and village offices were relocated there Sept. 20. The farm marks the first permanent Village Hall. For more than two years, officials worked in a converted trailer. Before that, records were kept in the village administrator’s basement, said Village Administrator Kari Diesen-Dahl.
The mall proposal, which was protested by scores of residents, is the first of the three developments to go on line. Originally, stores were to open in mid-October, but that date was pushed back after the discovery that water pressure was not sufficient and a pump station had to be installed, said Terry McEwen, president of Poag and McEwen Lifestyle Centers.
When all of the stores open, there will be about 56 shops, McEwen said. Though the original plans included a movie theater complex, McEwen said he has yet to sign a deal with a company.
Nearby, merchants hope the mall will help increase their businesses’ visibility and draw customers.
“We hope it will help but we don’t know,” said Judy Caputo, manager of Puff N Stuff, which sells tobacco products, Lionel trains and other items on Rand Road.
Down the street, Berland’s House of Tools has already experienced some benefits from the mall with construction crews coming in to buy items, said Mike Sopala, assistant manager. Though he worries about traffic, Sopala thinks it could attract new customers.
“It gives us more visibility because there will be more people,” he said.
