The first skirmish in the village-landowners legal fight over the future of the Huntley Outlet mall site was held October 17.
After more than an hour of animated conversation among lawyers representing the Village of Huntley and the Huntley Investment Group landowners, the result was expected: McHenry County Judge Kevin Costello denied the village’s request to quash the landowners lawsuit against the village.
The judge said the village has until November 14 to formally answer the landowners complaint that the village unfairly and improperly acted earlier this year in rejecting the landowners proposal to erect three industrial warehouse structures on the remaining 60-plus acres at the former outlet mall site. The landowners are asking the judge to allow them to proceed with their plans for industrial facilities at the property. The village, meanwhile, wants the rejection of industrial facilities to remain and plans to promote regional retail facilities at the property as part of a Gateway Redevelopment Plan in the area of Illinois Tollway Interstate 90 and State Route 47.
The Huntley Outlet Center closed all its stores in 2017. The mall was opened in 1994. It was built by the Prime Group. The Huntley Investment Partners now consist of Prime, plus Capital Investment of Elgin, and a California outlet mall company.
The outlet buildings were demolished in 2018, The landowners applied to the village for a rezoning of the property to ORI-Office Research/Industrial and for special use permits for light manufacturing warehouse storage and distribution. On March 11, 2019, the village’s Plan Commission voted to approve the landowner application for rezoning and related special use permits.
On April 11, 2019, the village board voted 4-3 to deny the landowner application for rezoning and related special uses. Now, the landowners are asking the court to find that the village board’s denial was “arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable.”
A legal decision for or against the village is expected sometime next year.
The original outlet mall site included about 76 acres. About 16 acres of this property has been sold by the landowners to General RV, which has since expanded its recreational vehicle facilities into the original mall site.
