Dean Foods leaving Huntley

Along with rapid industrial and commercial growth in Huntley, there are sometimes bumps in the road.

The Sun Day learned last week that Dean Foods is planning to leave Huntley. The company’s intentions were recently communicated to the village and have been confirmed by the Sun Day with a Dean Foods spokesperson in Huntley. Dean Foods and a related transportation operation is one of Huntley’s largest employers and has been located on Mill Street in the village for many years. No additional information was available by press time for this report.

Meanwhile, the beat goes on regarding Huntley’s quest to become a major healthcare community.

At last week’s Huntley village board meeting, a proposal for a new immediate care facility in the growing Route 47 corridor was unveiled.

MB Real Estate is proposing to build a one-story, 9,400-square-foot medical office building to be leased by Alexian Brothers Health System, a part of AMITA Health. If approved by the village, it would be located near the southeast corner of Route 47 and the Huntley Crossings Drive, south of Harris Bank. The location is a short distance north of Route 47’s intersection with Del Webb Boulevard. Acdcording to Charles Nordman, director of the village’s economic development services, the building could be expandable by an additional 7,600 square feet in the future.

The proposal will go through the village’s review and approval process with the Plan Commission and Village Board in the next few months.

In other updates from the village recently:

Nordman says the village was informed recently that Panera Bread intended to start construction of its new restaurant in early 2019, not 2018 as originally announced.

“However, we continue discussions with them to encourage an earlier start,” Nordman said last week. Panera has placed a “Coming Soon” sign on its proposed location at the southeast corner of Route 47 and Kreutzer Road.

Verizon’s new office building between the recently opened Panda Express Restaurant and Burger King on Route 47 is under construction now.

O’Reilly Auto Parts is expected to begin construction soon on a new store at the northeast corner of Regency Square and Route 47.

Conversations between the Prime Group, Capital Investment of Elgin, and the village are ongoing regarding the future of the Huntley Outlet Center site. The village rejected the owner’s original request to rezone the property for industrial and office uses.

“The owners are now revising their development application and rezoning request,” Nordman says.

The proposal by Huntley businessman Mike Skala for a multi-use residential/commercial project at Mill Street and Route 47 is on hold at the Huntley Plan Commission. The public hearing, which started in May, has been continued until the August meeting of the commission at Skala’s request.

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