Huntley business growth status update

Business activity, new and old, continues to hum along with authority in Huntley.

Gathering data on new and existing businesses reveals more than a dozen changing locations in business parks, industrial sites, and commercial districts.

From the north side near Reed Road, to the south side near the I-90 tollway, construction is underway or proposed everywhere you turn. Here is a sound bite-style report on what’s happening, business-wise, in this former small farming community.

First, Huntley businessman Mike Skala still owns the vacant 17-acre site on Route 47 and Mill Street. Sun Citians may remember that he proposed a major new residential-commercial project there last year, along with a new location for his business, Goodfella’s Beef. But local residents and the village rejected the plan. Reached in Las Vegas last week where he is attending a conference, Skala said he has turned to farming, sort of.

“I have leased a little more than half of my property at Mill Street to a farmer, and I don’t know what he plans to do with it,” he said. He declined to reveal the name of the farmer.

“Plus, I plan to expand my Goodfella’s space into tenant space right next to mine in the strip mall on 47,” he added.

Elsewhere, up north, at Reed Road and Route 47, ground was broken in August for a 9,000-square-foot Starbucks-based multi-tenant building by developer Henry Patel. He plans to complete construction immediately north of the existing Walgreen’s store late this year.

Also at Reed and 47, Jewel has begun excavation for construction of a 63,000-square-foot store behind Walgreen’s. Remodeling and reorganizing of the existing Jewel in Village Green on Oak Creek Parkway was completed a few months ago.

St. Mary Catholic Church is constructing a 1,900-square foot office addition along Huntley Road on the northwest side of the main sanctuary building. The church also is expanding and improving storm water drainage and parking in its parking lot south and west of the sanctuary center.

On the new business front, a small shop to be called “Blessed Little Kitchen’ bakery is targeted to open in November next to Huntley Floral in the Ace Hardware-Pub 47 center on Route 47 north of Algonquin Road. Panera Road now says it will build a restaurant at Kreutzer Road and Route 47 (southeast corner) in 2020, and Thornton’s is moving forward with its plans for a gas station, starting next year at the northwest corner of Kreutzer and 47. It needs IDOT and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approval.

MORE Brewing is well along on its building of a micro-brewery at the old Chevrolet car dealership site next to the Ford Dealership near Freeman Road and Route 47. Huntley Springs Retirement Resort is approaching its formal opening on Powers Road about a block east of Route 47. The luxury senior apartment structure, at 11700 Samantha Lane plans a November open house.

ASAP Garage Door plans to start construction of its new warehouse on Kreutzer Road and Smith Road in October. Finally, Jiffy Lube has revealed it will build a new lube and service center this fall on the site directly east (behind) Auto Zone in an outlot in front of WalMart.

Existing business expansion also continues at many locations. The Huntley Fire Protection District’s new Station 5 at Hennig Road on Dhamer Drive at the south edge of Sun City is well underway, as is the fire district’s new headquarters and Station 1 at Ruth Road and Main Street.

Finally, two long-time existing enterprises plan major construction projects soon. General RV now owns 27 acres, part of it the former property of the former Huntley Outlet site. General plans to start the latest phase soon of its expansion of parking and storm water detention areas near Freeman Road. And the Huntley Public Library District is finalizing plans to begin construction of the voter-approved addition to its building near Ruth Road and Main Street, across from the Huntley Village Hall.

Last but not least, on the residential front, Lennar Homes is busy expanding the build-out of houses on the north end of Talamore along the west side of Rout e 47.

Finally, in case anyone is still following, the dispute between the Village and the former Huntley Outlet Center site landowners goes to the McHenry County Court October 17 with an initial hearing on a lawsuit by Huntley Investment Partners against the village.

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