Reclamation of the vacant Huntley Outlet Mall property has begun.
On February 22, more than 10 months after the mall became vacant in 2017, Huntley officials approved three actions that will allow General RV to occupy eight additional acres of the former mall property next to the I-90 toll way.
General RV’s area the eastward expansion into the Outlet Mall is highlighted in yellow above. (Photo provided)
The village board unanimously approved General RV’s request to expand eastward into the western end of the former mall property. The board approved an ordinance that 1) creates a final plat of subdivision consolidation for General RV, 2) amends the special use permit for recreational vehicle sales at the new site, and 3) approves a new site plan, to accommodate expansion of the recreational vehicles sales and service facility.
The new area will include 88 new large-vehicle parking spaces, bordered by the same black-coated fence that is currently installed along the perimeter of the General RV site. The proposed landscaping plan includes removal of existing trees along the present General RV eastern property line, and installation of 17 Redwood Linden trees along the “new” eastern property line. The plan also includes 24-foot-high light fixtures similar to those used on other portions of the General parking areas.
Details of the landscaping and lighting portions of the project will be worked out soon between General and the village staff.
This is the second expansion of the General RV site since it originally opened in 2010. The additional eight acres expands the total General acreage from 12 to 20. General RV is a large family-owned business that operates more than a dozen recreational vehicle sales and service sites throughout the midwestern portion of the U.S.
For the last few years, General RV’s robust and expanding operation was in stark contrast to the outlet mall’s steady decline.
The new General site plan also identifies space for two possible future additions to existing buildings. General purchased the eight acres from the mall property’s three owners about the same time as the last business left the mall in April, 2017. The owner group includes The Prime Group, Capital Redevelopment in Elgin, and the Craig Group, an outlet mall management company in southern California.
No decision about the future use of the remaining 60 acres of the mall property has been reached among the property owners and the Village of Huntley.
