Four years after the village of New Lenox purchased and demolished four businesses to rejuvenate the main intersection of U.S. 30 and Cedar Road, crews have started to pave the way for the new Rock Island Station Shopping Center on the northeast corner, adjacent to the Metra commuter lot.
For now, commuters will bear the brunt of the construction work, as the village closed Church Street, one of the main entrances into Metra parking lot, and temporarily eliminated over 80 parking spaces — closest to that entrance.
A trailer has been installed as the ticket office, pending the relocation of the existing train depot, and the building of a new station.
The retail center will be developed in two lots, with a new CVS Pharmacy anchoring the northeast corner on a 1.6 acre parcel, formerly occupied by a BP Amoco gas station and Hutchins Cleaners.
The 1.1 acre parcel to the east will have an 8,400-square-foot retail center with Durbin’s Pizza and Darla’s Deli and Café, on land formerly occupied by the Pit Stop tavern and the vacant House of Hughes Restaurant.
First out of the ground will be the 13,000-square-foot CVS, expected to open by the end of the year. It will be the third CVS Pharmacy in New Lenox, with the others on Laraway and Nelson Roads and on east U.S. Route 30 inside the Target.
Village officials had no estimate on when the second building would start.
It plans to begin construction on the new 2,270-square-foot train station next spring, and have that open to the public by the end of 2019, using sales tax revenues from this retail center to finance the bonds, according to village officials.
Village administrator Kurt Carroll estimated the cost of the new station to be between $2 million and $3 million, and will be comparable to the Oak Forest station.
The new businesses are estimated to generate $150,000 to $160,000 in sales tax and gaming revenue annually, according to village figures.
The 116-year-old depot was slated to be demolished, but the New Lenox Area Historical Society fought to save it.
Metra donated the building to the society, and it will be relocated in June to Walt Konow’s farm, 16849 Cedar Road in Homer Township, which has become a popular venue for family activities, said Lori Lindberg, NLAHS chairwoman.
Konow plans to use the train station to sell admission tickets to corn maze, hay rides, grain train, animal barn and other attractions.
Historical society members also plan to display historical information inside the depot.
Konow previously saved the Tilsey Barn from demolition, landmarked it with assistance from NLAHS and relocated it to his farm.
Lindberg previously said the train depot also will be landmarked.
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