Business expansion around Sun City continues at a fast pace, especially in the Regency Square commercial center area at Princeton Drive.
New construction projects and renovation of existing spaces are the latest examples of the steady commercial and office expansion that is coming right to Sun City’s doorstep.
Family Alliance is expanding its array of senior-related services with a multi-functional, senior-service center in the former Sun City customer service building on Farm Hill Road. It is scheduled to open on or about Aug. l. It will occupy about 8,000 square feet in the building, when renovation of the interior spaces is completed later this summer. The building was bought in 2013 by Liesl and Preston Kaye, optometrists and owners of Kaye Eye Care, whose center now occupies about 7,000 square feet in another part of the building. The Kayes hope to lease the final 7,000 square feet soon.
Family Alliance operates an assisted-living and nursing care facility in Woodstock. The firm decided last year to expand its presence in McHenry County and conducted a survey of area communities.
“When we talked to Huntley village officials, they told us we should come to the Sun City area in their community, and we were happy to find this building available,” said Kim Larson, Family Alliance executive director.
Larson added that research and surveys confirmed the community was in need of the services offered by Family Alliance and that proximity was a key factor in the decisions families and individuals are currently making about the health care and respite options they look for.
“When we open in August, we will offer an array of senior-related services, including full-time primary medical care, memory care consultation and services, behavioral health, dementia, and geriatric educational and consultation activities coordinated by a geriatric specialist, and bereavement-related services.”
She also said the center will provide day care for elderly seniors whose caregivers or relatives need to shop, run errands or pursue their own activities for a day or a few hours.
“We believe this building just outside Sun City provides a convenient, nearby location for the many senior residents who live in Sun City,” Larson said.
About two blocks away, the Walgreen’s-anchored strip mall along Route 47 is filling up. The latest three businesses now being constructed are a Brunch Cafe (a breakfast-lunch restaurant), Super Clips Haircuts shop, and an Aldi Grocery Store. These buildings are expected to open in July or August between the Rookies/Starbucks complex and the 7-Eleven convenience store center. Only one vacant lot remains in this area.
Directly across Route 47, Huntley’s second McDonald’s, under the same management as the one about a mile north, is expected to open this summer in an out lot in front of Wal-Mart.
The entire Walgreen’s commercial/office complex, now stretches from Kreutzer Road to south of Regency Parkway on the west side of Route 47. It soon will include more than 35 enterprises: about a dozen medical, real estate, and financial services offices in several buildings, nearly 20 retail stores and restaurants, a Village of Huntley fire station, a Kinder Care child care facility, Heritage Woods Assisted Living, and the Deerpath Supportive Care facility for injured or disabled teenagers and adults.
Coming in the next year or two is a 14-acre Alden senior care complex providing independent living, memory care, nursing care, and assisted living facilities next to the Fire station retention pond at Regency Square Parkway and Princeton Drive. Elsewhere, behind the Huntley Outlet Mall on the south side of Freeman Road, a large regional distribution facility is being built by the Weber Grill company, doubling the size of its facilities in Huntley and providing scores of additional jobs.
While all of this has been going on, village officials are saying that major industrial and commercial expansion is coming in the next few years to the area along James Dhamer Road near the I-90 Tollway, as well as the area south of the Tollway along Route 47, extending southward to Big Timber Road.
