When an underperforming Dominick’s Finer Foods store closed this spring, Glenview was left with an empty building at one of its most prominent intersections.
Eager to take control of the property, the village began negotiations soon after the store’s April closing to buy the roughly 3-acre parcel at 1020 Waukegan Rd.
“It’s a critical piece of property,” said Trustee Philip White. “Our concern was what might happen to the site if we didn’t control it.”
The Village Board will pay $6.5 million for the land, which Village President Kerry Cummings said could eventually be redeveloped and serve as a catalyst for the ongoing revitalization of downtown Glenview.
By owning the property, village officials said they will maintain more control over future development decisions.
“It’s very important to have this developed in a way that’s good for the community,” Cummings said. “It can become an anchor.”
Officials said Safeway Inc., Dominick’s parent company in California, didn’t own the property, which was held in a trust through Chicago Title Co.
Kathleen Gilligan, a Chicago attorney listed on state records as an agent for one of the trust’s members, 1020 Waukegan LLC, declined to comment on the sale, which is scheduled to close in November.
Safeway announced Feb. 2 it would close 14 underperforming stores in the Chicago area.
