dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--'Nobody's looking to go rogue here': Towns call for changes to state's reopening plan

Palatine , Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates passed resolutions Monday calling on Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to alter the Restore Illinois plan in an effort to help businesses .
`` As I said , nobody 's looking to go rogue here , '' Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz said .
`` This is not something we 're looking to do .
...
There is not one bit of interest in turning this into a political deal .
We 're abiding by the governor 's orders .
We 've abided from the very beginning .
That 's not going to change .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the village board discussed the Restore Illinois plan but did not put a resolution up for a vote Monday night , Trustee Joseph Vito accused Pritzker of overstepping his authority and suggested suing the state -- a move his colleagues did not support .
Vito also questioned Pritzker 's plan for not allowing for gatherings of more than 50 people until Phase 5 , assuming a vaccine or viable treatment for COVID-19 .
`` We are now living under the rule of one person , '' Vito said .
`` And I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And I 've had conversations with staff about this .
And there 's some people that want to go ahead and defy the governor -- I 'm one of them -- but the resounding response is , 'We 're scared of the retribution . '
What kind of state are we living in ? ''
In the varying resolutions passed by the Arlington Heights , Hoffman Estates and Palatine village boards Monday , the officials want a return to the 11 emergency medical service regions that have guided statewide public health work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Restore Illinois .
Typically , the Northwest suburbs are part of Region 9 , which according to the Illinois Department of Public Health does not include Chicago but does extend into parts of Lake , Kane , McHenry and Kendall counties .
`` For some of the regions , there are more dissimilarities between the communities than there are similarities as it relates to COVID-19 , '' Hoffman Estates ' resolution states .
Arlington Heights and Palatine also are calling on Pritzker to work with the General Assembly and the Illinois Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workable precautions , guidelines and controls for the opening of restaurants , bars and other businesses in Phase 3 .
Pritzker says the state is on pace to move into a less-restrictive Phase 3 at the end of this month , but restaurants and bars still would be limited to delivery , pickup and drive-through .
Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen said the concern is that state wo n't move into Phase 4 until July or later .
Hoffman Estates trustees declined to include a request for the governor to consider sit-down restaurants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said the resolution approved on a 7-2 vote of his board Monday night was scaled down from a `` very extreme '' original version that talked negatively about Pritzker and his plan , labeled it `` unconstitutional '' and threatened litigation .
Hayes argued the revised resolution , for which he lobbied before the Northwest Municipal Conference last week , provides a `` proper balance between economics and health and safety . ''
`` It is not my intention for either this village board or our residents or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in any way , shape or form , '' Hayes said .
`` On the contrary , I think we need to follow him , but that does not mean that we can not encourage reasonable change or modifications to that plan . ''
Voting `` no '' on the resolution were Trustees Mary Beth Canty and Rich Baldino , who cited epidemiological and medical science in concurring to keep restaurant reopenings in Phase 4 .
A resolution was placed before Buffalo Grove trustees Monday evening , but the village board decided against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the document `` relatively meaningless . ''
Unlike the resolutions in Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates , Palatine 's requests the governor to modify the timeline for stability or a decrease in coronavirus-related hospital admissions from 28 days to 14 days to allow the emergency medical services regions to accelerate the phases .
Arlington Heights , Hoffman Estates and Palatine will forward the resolutions to Pritzker .
Schaumburg village board members are to consider a similar resolution tonight .
•Daily Herald staff writers Steve Zalusky and Christopher Placek contributed to this report .

'Nobody's looking to go rogue here': Towns call for changes to state's reopening plan
At a Wheeling village board meeting Monday night, the officials discussed the Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Restore Illinois plan. Trustee Joseph Vito accused Pritzker of overstepping his authority and suggested suing the state -- a move his colleagues did not support.
Palatine, Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates passed resolutions Monday calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to alter the Restore Illinois plan in an effort to help businesses.
"As I said, nobody's looking to go rogue here," Palatine Mayor Jim Schwantz said. "This is not something we're looking to do. ... There is not one bit of interest in turning this into a political deal. We're abiding by the governor's orders. We've abided from the very beginning. That's not going to change."
However, in Wheeling, where the village board discussed the Restore Illinois plan but did not put a resolution up for a vote Monday night, Trustee Joseph Vito accused Pritzker of overstepping his authority and suggested suing the state -- a move his colleagues did not support.
Vito also questioned Pritzker's plan for not allowing for gatherings of more than 50 people until Phase 5, assuming a vaccine or viable treatment for COVID-19.
"We are now living under the rule of one person," Vito said. "And I've talked to other local leaders about this. And I've had conversations with staff about this. And there's some people that want to go ahead and defy the governor -- I'm one of them -- but the resounding response is, 'We're scared of the retribution.' What kind of state are we living in?"
In the varying resolutions passed by the Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Palatine village boards Monday, the officials want a return to the 11 emergency medical service regions that have guided statewide public health work instead of the four created by Pritzker for Restore Illinois.
Typically, the Northwest suburbs are part of Region 9, which according to the Illinois Department of Public Health does not include Chicago but does extend into parts of Lake, Kane, McHenry and Kendall counties.
"For some of the regions, there are more dissimilarities between the communities than there are similarities as it relates to COVID-19," Hoffman Estates' resolution states.
Arlington Heights and Palatine also are calling on Pritzker to work with the General Assembly and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to develop workable precautions, guidelines and controls for the opening of restaurants, bars and other businesses in Phase 3.
Pritzker says the state is on pace to move into a less-restrictive Phase 3 at the end of this month, but restaurants and bars still would be limited to delivery, pickup and drive-through. Palatine Village Manager Reid Ottesen said the concern is that state won't move into Phase 4 until July or later.
Hoffman Estates trustees declined to include a request for the governor to consider sit-down restaurants and other openings in Phase 3.
Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes said the resolution approved on a 7-2 vote of his board Monday night was scaled down from a "very extreme" original version that talked negatively about Pritzker and his plan, labeled it "unconstitutional" and threatened litigation.
Hayes argued the revised resolution, for which he lobbied before the Northwest Municipal Conference last week, provides a "proper balance between economics and health and safety."
"It is not my intention for either this village board or our residents or businesses to defy the governor's order in any way, shape or form," Hayes said. "On the contrary, I think we need to follow him, but that does not mean that we cannot encourage reasonable change or modifications to that plan."
Voting "no" on the resolution were Trustees Mary Beth Canty and Rich Baldino, who cited epidemiological and medical science in concurring to keep restaurant reopenings in Phase 4.
A resolution was placed before Buffalo Grove trustees Monday evening, but the village board decided against taking action. Trustee Gregory Pike called the document "relatively meaningless."
Unlike the resolutions in Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates, Palatine's requests the governor to modify the timeline for stability or a decrease in coronavirus-related hospital admissions from 28 days to 14 days to allow the emergency medical services regions to accelerate the phases.
Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Palatine will forward the resolutions to Pritzker. Schaumburg village board members are to consider a similar resolution tonight.
•Daily Herald staff writers Steve Zalusky and Christopher Placek contributed to this report.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--The Deal at 30: If Sears failed, what would replace its headquarters?

This article was produced in partnership with the ProPublica Local Reporting Network .
ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power .
When Kmart bought Sears in 2005 , the retailer famous for its blue-light special sales left its longtime corporate home in Troy , Michigan , to move to Hoffman Estates , the headquarters of its new acquisition .
Built in 1972 , Kmart 's former headquarters , dubbed Fort Kresge , consists of a clutch of low , interlocking buildings of dark steel and mirrored glass .
Brick towers loom in between them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance with the surname of company founder Sebastian Spering Kresge .
In its heyday , Fort Kresge teemed with 5,000 employees and was filled with works of art , including a rare tapestry by Pablo Picasso and a 15th-century Ming Dynasty watercolor on silk .
But after the merger , almost everything was auctioned off -- artwork , furniture , even office equipment .
Vacant since 2006 , Fort Kresge 's years of decay are plain to see : boarded-up doors and broken windows , pocked walls and peeling ceilings , and vast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office equipment or littered with debris .
A redevelopment plan never got off the ground and a private developer purchased the land at a discount .
Deemed by Troy 's city assessor as `` functionally obsolete , '' the mothballed campus on 40 acres is considered well beyond a fixer-upper ; it 's a complete teardown .
Over the years , Kmart 's languishing campus has burdened the Detroit suburb .
Its extended vacancy has not only left a void in Troy 's commercial business heart , but it has strained the city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the office park sat vacant , the more its taxable value plummeted , taking a big bite out of the local property tax rolls .
Sears sold off the building and the land surrounding it in 2007 .
Plans for its redevelopment have since stalled .
Fort Kresge 's assessed value has sunk by more than half over the decades , according to city records , from $ 27.6 million to $ 12 million .
The owners paid $ 311,000 in taxes last year , 68 % less than in 2002 , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Kmart site 's a real pain in the butt , '' said Nino Licari , Troy 's city assessor .
Sites such as Kmart 's old headquarters are known as `` big empties '' -- sprawling , once-trendy corporate campuses left behind in the suburbs as companies increasingly relocate to urban centers .
In just the last several years , McDonald 's , Motorola Solutions and Kraft Heinz , among other companies , have left their suburban offices to move into downtown Chicago to attract millennial workers who often prefer more urban @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easier to work from home and lessened the need for employees to gather in a single , central location .
The Sears campus in Hoffman Estates may be following the path of its sister campus in Troy -- a Fort Kresge for the future .
Long before the coronavirus pandemic struck , the Sears ' security hut at Sears Parkway and Trillium Boulevard was abandoned .
Parking lots that once held thousands of cars were almost deserted .
A fountain that once sprayed water several stories high was shut down to save money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headquarters -- composed of seven interconnected office buildings -- there is an almost eerie ghost-town quality , former employees describe .
The bank , dry cleaners , hair salon , coffee shop and small sundry shop that once lined the corridor of the main atrium have all closed .
Gone , too , are the Sbarro 's and Panda Express restaurants .
Over the years , Sears has hired leasing agents to bring in sublessors without much success .
Today , with the economy uncertain and Sears ' days seemingly numbered , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Only about 3 % of the complex is leased to outside tenants .
`` It looks like somebody pulled the fire alarm , '' as one former longtime employee , who was laid off in 2018 , describes it .
The employee requested anonymity because he still works in the retail industry .
Hoffman Estates officials said they are certain that the campus will be redeveloped -- even if Sears departs the village .
`` The Sears campus is a beautiful building , '' Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use made of it .
It 's not uncommon as time goes by that trends in business change dramatically .
...
Someone will come in with an idea .
And those buildings will be utilized . ''
It is unclear what plans Sears has for its headquarters as the company struggles to survive .
The fate of the site lies in the hands of hedge fund operator Eddie Lampert , the former Sears CEO who bought the company 's assets after it declared bankruptcy in late 2018 .
His new company , Transformco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 120 undeveloped acres .
If Transformco tried to sell the campus , it would face long odds , local real estate experts said .
The large complex , custom-built for Sears , is nearly 30 years old .
Suburban business parks are as outdated and obsolete as fax machines .
Office vacancy rates in the Northwest suburbs stand at around 19 % , compared with 11.8 % downtown and 13.3 % across the Chicago suburbs , according to CoStar , a commercial real estate company .
The vacancy rate in Hoffman Estates is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest figures in suburban Cook County .
Empty office space in the Sears headquarters and the former AT & T campus account for more than half of the vacancies .
The entire region is a buyer 's market , burdened by other big empties .
Right down the road from Sears headquarters are two such examples .
Allstate Insurance Corp. moved out of its 530,000-square-foot office complex in 1992 .
It went unsold and sat vacant until 2012 , when Allstate demolished the building .
The taxable value of the property has plunged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 106,000 in 2019 .
Last year , Allstate 's property tax bill was less than $ 15,000 .
Today , the 62-acre former corporate campus on West Higgins Road in South Barrington is an empty field .
Five miles east of Sears , along the tollway in Hoffman Estates , is the site of the former AT & T campus .
Built in 1991 , the three-building , 150-acre campus was deserted in 2014 , when AT & T began moving its 3,000 workers to smaller offices in Chicago and other suburbs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the last five tax years alone , the amount of taxes collected from the property declined from $ 7.7 million to $ 1.4 million .
A new plan seeks to rejuvenate the site by turning it into a self-contained virtual city -- called a `` metroburb '' by developers -- with offices , stores , restaurants , hundreds of apartments and townhouses .
It is unclear whether the new project will work out .
But McLeod pointed to it as an example of how to turn big empties into thriving new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being restructured , '' McLeod said .
`` We 're very excited about the 'metroburb ' there . ''
Given the bad timing and real estate headwinds , one of two fates awaits the Sears headquarters , experts say : It will sit empty for several years , or it will face the thud of the wrecking ball .
`` It 's a nice building .
It still looks nice , '' said Brandon Svec , a director and economist at CoStar .
`` But where 's the demand ?
There 's no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ square feet in the suburbs right now .
There just is n't the market demand for it to justify its existence . ''
For Hoffman Estates , the loss of its biggest taxpayer would be a blow to the city 's finances .
For decades , Sears has captured tax revenue from a special district drawn around the campus designed to keep the company in town .
Under the terms of the agreement with Sears , the village receives a guaranteed $ 5 million per year , roughly 5 % of its annual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 30 million since 2014 .
But Sears ' departure would put an end to the special tax district .
The village and other local government agencies would regain control over the taxes it generates .
But without a new tenant , the value of the land would most likely fall , dragging tax revenue with it .
Sears ' corporate complex has already been sharply depreciating for years , on the same downward trajectory as the company 's stock price .
In 2013 , the headquarters had an estimated market value of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value , according to the Cook County assessor 's office , is about $ 50 million -- a decline of two-thirds in only five years .
Even though vacant properties remain on the tax rolls , their assessed values plummet .
It does n't take long for them to become Fort Kresges .
If that happens , Hoffman Estates will have to provide municipal services like road repairs and police and fire protection with diminished property tax revenues .
For residents , that likely means a tax hike or cuts to services .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ when Sears was the nation 's mightiest retailer , the `` Everything Store '' that would be around forever -- a business that was , to steal a popular phrase from another industry , too big to fail .
But with Sears ' collapse considered now not a matter of if but when , Hoffman Estates officials are grappling with what the village 's future might look like without the company .
The village commissioned a study in 2018 to refashion the Prairie Stone business park and the Sears Centre entertainment district , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjacent to Prairie Stone .
Altogether , the new economic plan covers an area of 1,650 acres and suggests a number of mixed uses , including a variety of residential choices , office spaces , restaurants , shops and lively parklike recreational spaces .
The plan does not say how it will be funded or who will develop it .
It also says nothing about the elephant in the room : Sears ' headquarters complex .

The Deal at 30: If Sears failed, what would replace its headquarters?
Fort Kresge, the former Kmart World Headquarters, in Troy, Michigan, still awaits redevelopment after Kmart left it in 2006. Nicholas Eckhart via Flickr
This article was produced in partnership with the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. ProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power.
When Kmart bought Sears in 2005, the retailer famous for its blue-light special sales left its longtime corporate home in Troy, Michigan, to move to Hoffman Estates, the headquarters of its new acquisition.
Built in 1972, Kmart's former headquarters, dubbed Fort Kresge, consists of a clutch of low, interlocking buildings of dark steel and mirrored glass. Brick towers loom in between them. Its nickname combined the campus' fortresslike appearance with the surname of company founder Sebastian Spering Kresge.
In its heyday, Fort Kresge teemed with 5,000 employees and was filled with works of art, including a rare tapestry by Pablo Picasso and a 15th-century Ming Dynasty watercolor on silk. But after the merger, almost everything was auctioned off -- artwork, furniture, even office equipment.
Vacant since 2006, Fort Kresge's years of decay are plain to see: boarded-up doors and broken windows, pocked walls and peeling ceilings, and vast hollowed-out rooms, some still containing musty office equipment or littered with debris. A redevelopment plan never got off the ground and a private developer purchased the land at a discount. Deemed by Troy's city assessor as "functionally obsolete," the mothballed campus on 40 acres is considered well beyond a fixer-upper; it's a complete teardown.
Over the years, Kmart's languishing campus has burdened the Detroit suburb. Its extended vacancy has not only left a void in Troy's commercial business heart, but it has strained the city's coffers as well. The longer the office park sat vacant, the more its taxable value plummeted, taking a big bite out of the local property tax rolls.
Sears sold off the building and the land surrounding it in 2007. Plans for its redevelopment have since stalled.
Fort Kresge's assessed value has sunk by more than half over the decades, according to city records, from $27.6 million to $12 million. The owners paid $311,000 in taxes last year, 68% less than in 2002, when Kmart employed thousands in Troy.
"The Kmart site's a real pain in the butt," said Nino Licari, Troy's city assessor.
Sites such as Kmart's old headquarters are known as "big empties" -- sprawling, once-trendy corporate campuses left behind in the suburbs as companies increasingly relocate to urban centers.
In just the last several years, McDonald's, Motorola Solutions and Kraft Heinz, among other companies, have left their suburban offices to move into downtown Chicago to attract millennial workers who often prefer more urban environments. New technology has made it easier to work from home and lessened the need for employees to gather in a single, central location.
The Sears campus in Hoffman Estates may be following the path of its sister campus in Troy -- a Fort Kresge for the future.
Long before the coronavirus pandemic struck, the Sears' security hut at Sears Parkway and Trillium Boulevard was abandoned. Parking lots that once held thousands of cars were almost deserted. A fountain that once sprayed water several stories high was shut down to save money.
Inside the sprawling, 2.4 million-square-foot headquarters -- composed of seven interconnected office buildings -- there is an almost eerie ghost-town quality, former employees describe. The bank, dry cleaners, hair salon, coffee shop and small sundry shop that once lined the corridor of the main atrium have all closed. Gone, too, are the Sbarro's and Panda Express restaurants.
Over the years, Sears has hired leasing agents to bring in sublessors without much success. Today, with the economy uncertain and Sears' days seemingly numbered, the building has become an even harder sell. Only about 3% of the complex is leased to outside tenants.
"It looks like somebody pulled the fire alarm," as one former longtime employee, who was laid off in 2018, describes it. The employee requested anonymity because he still works in the retail industry.
Hoffman Estates officials said they are certain that the campus will be redeveloped -- even if Sears departs the village.
"The Sears campus is a beautiful building," Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod said. "I'm sure they'll be some use made of it. It's not uncommon as time goes by that trends in business change dramatically. ... Someone will come in with an idea. And those buildings will be utilized."
It is unclear what plans Sears has for its headquarters as the company struggles to survive. The fate of the site lies in the hands of hedge fund operator Eddie Lampert, the former Sears CEO who bought the company's assets after it declared bankruptcy in late 2018. His new company, Transformco, owns the campus and an additional 120 undeveloped acres.
Transformco declined to comment.
If Transformco tried to sell the campus, it would face long odds, local real estate experts said. The large complex, custom-built for Sears, is nearly 30 years old. Suburban business parks are as outdated and obsolete as fax machines.
Office vacancy rates in the Northwest suburbs stand at around 19%, compared with 11.8% downtown and 13.3% across the Chicago suburbs, according to CoStar, a commercial real estate company.
The vacancy rate in Hoffman Estates is at 30% -- one of the highest figures in suburban Cook County. Empty office space in the Sears headquarters and the former AT&T campus account for more than half of the vacancies.
The entire region is a buyer's market, burdened by other big empties. Right down the road from Sears headquarters are two such examples.
Allstate Insurance Corp. moved out of its 530,000-square-foot office complex in 1992. It went unsold and sat vacant until 2012, when Allstate demolished the building. The taxable value of the property has plunged from $14.7 million in 2009 to $106,000 in 2019. Last year, Allstate's property tax bill was less than $15,000. Today, the 62-acre former corporate campus on West Higgins Road in South Barrington is an empty field.
Five miles east of Sears, along the tollway in Hoffman Estates, is the site of the former AT&T campus. Built in 1991, the three-building, 150-acre campus was deserted in 2014, when AT&T began moving its 3,000 workers to smaller offices in Chicago and other suburbs. It became completely vacant in 2016. In the last five tax years alone, the amount of taxes collected from the property declined from $7.7 million to $1.4 million.
A new plan seeks to rejuvenate the site by turning it into a self-contained virtual city -- called a "metroburb" by developers -- with offices, stores, restaurants, hundreds of apartments and townhouses.
It is unclear whether the new project will work out. But McLeod pointed to it as an example of how to turn big empties into thriving new ventures.
"AT&T is being restructured," McLeod said. "We're very excited about the 'metroburb' there."
Given the bad timing and real estate headwinds, one of two fates awaits the Sears headquarters, experts say: It will sit empty for several years, or it will face the thud of the wrecking ball.
"It's a nice building. It still looks nice," said Brandon Svec, a director and economist at CoStar. "But where's the demand? There's no one looking to take on 2.3 million square feet in the suburbs right now. There just isn't the market demand for it to justify its existence."
For Hoffman Estates, the loss of its biggest taxpayer would be a blow to the city's finances.
For decades, Sears has captured tax revenue from a special district drawn around the campus designed to keep the company in town. Under the terms of the agreement with Sears, the village receives a guaranteed $5 million per year, roughly 5% of its annual budget. That has added up to $30 million since 2014.
But Sears' departure would put an end to the special tax district. The village and other local government agencies would regain control over the taxes it generates. But without a new tenant, the value of the land would most likely fall, dragging tax revenue with it.
Sears' corporate complex has already been sharply depreciating for years, on the same downward trajectory as the company's stock price. In 2013, the headquarters had an estimated market value of about $150 million. Its current value, according to the Cook County assessor's office, is about $50 million -- a decline of two-thirds in only five years.
Even though vacant properties remain on the tax rolls, their assessed values plummet. It doesn't take long for them to become Fort Kresges.
If that happens, Hoffman Estates will have to provide municipal services like road repairs and police and fire protection with diminished property tax revenues. For residents, that likely means a tax hike or cuts to services.
None of this was imaginable in 1989 when Sears was the nation's mightiest retailer, the "Everything Store" that would be around forever -- a business that was, to steal a popular phrase from another industry, too big to fail.
But with Sears' collapse considered now not a matter of if but when, Hoffman Estates officials are grappling with what the village's future might look like without the company.
The village commissioned a study in 2018 to refashion the Prairie Stone business park and the Sears Centre entertainment district, as well as three other large tracts adjacent to Prairie Stone.
Altogether, the new economic plan covers an area of 1,650 acres and suggests a number of mixed uses, including a variety of residential choices, office spaces, restaurants, shops and lively parklike recreational spaces.
The plan does not say how it will be funded or who will develop it.
It also says nothing about the elephant in the room: Sears' headquarters complex.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--Shane's Deli to make summer comeback in downtown Wheaton

If there 's a sports analogy for Shane 's Deli , it 's the comeback kid .
The downtown Wheaton deli was on the brink of shutting its doors two years ago when Eric Schlickman and four friends rallied to save the neighborhood lunch spot .
Now Shane 's is headed for another resurgence , this time after escaping the wrecking ball .
The deli closed last December at the site of the former Cock Robin at Wesley and Hale streets .
The property owner planned to tear down the iconic structure in March to make way for a three-story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first floor , offices on the second and an individual condo unit on the third floor .
But the owner decided to postpone the project because of the economic uncertainty and retail disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` I think that he hopes to do it in some capacity in the future , '' Schlickman said .
But it wo n't be anytime soon .
Schlickman expects to receive a five-year lease , allowing him to reopen Shane 's in its old home instead of elsewhere downtown .
`` It 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
He and the property owner will work on building and site improvements with the goal of reopening this summer .
The owner still intends to tear down a neighboring building to the north on Hale , Downtown Wheaton Association Executive Director Elle Withall said via email .
Schlickman wants to replace the deli 's roof , update its heating and cooling system , redo the parking lot , install a new ceiling and make cosmetic enhancements .
The work will start by early June .
Though he 's restarting a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confident in the loyalty of Shane 's customers .
Patrons were thrilled when he announced the reopening on social media .
`` Even before all of this happened , I had envisioned catering and delivery as a larger part of Shane 's and expanding the business through those two methods , '' Schlickman said .
`` With the situation that we 're in , I might need to start there as well as doing curbside or having pickup . ''
He 's already developed contactless service at his other restaurant , 302 Wheaton @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last fall .
`` It 's not the spring that we had anticipated , '' he said .
`` We would love to have people out on our patio hanging out more on these beautiful days that we 've had .
But the community has been super supportive of us . ''
To build enthusiasm for Shane 's , Schlickman is featuring the deli 's popular menu items at 302 Wheaton .
The latter began offering the Shane 's Club Salsalito as the first installment of a `` Sandwich of the Week .
@

Shane's Deli to make summer comeback in downtown Wheaton
Shane's Deli will reopen after the property owner spared the downtown Wheaton building from demolition. Daily Herald FILE photo
If there's a sports analogy for Shane's Deli, it's the comeback kid.
The downtown Wheaton deli was on the brink of shutting its doors two years ago when Eric Schlickman and four friends rallied to save the neighborhood lunch spot.
Now Shane's is headed for another resurgence, this time after escaping the wrecking ball.
The deli closed last December at the site of the former Cock Robin at Wesley and Hale streets. The property owner planned to tear down the iconic structure in March to make way for a three-story building with space for retailers on the first floor, offices on the second and an individual condo unit on the third floor.
But the owner decided to postpone the project because of the economic uncertainty and retail disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think that he hopes to do it in some capacity in the future," Schlickman said.
But it won't be anytime soon. Schlickman expects to receive a five-year lease, allowing him to reopen Shane's in its old home instead of elsewhere downtown. "It's where Shane's should be," he said.
He and the property owner will work on building and site improvements with the goal of reopening this summer. The owner still intends to tear down a neighboring building to the north on Hale, Downtown Wheaton Association Executive Director Elle Withall said via email.
Schlickman wants to replace the deli's roof, update its heating and cooling system, redo the parking lot, install a new ceiling and make cosmetic enhancements. The work will start by early June.
Though he's restarting a restaurant in a pandemic, Schlickman remains confident in the loyalty of Shane's customers. Patrons were thrilled when he announced the reopening on social media.
"Even before all of this happened, I had envisioned catering and delivery as a larger part of Shane's and expanding the business through those two methods," Schlickman said. "With the situation that we're in, I might need to start there as well as doing curbside or having pickup."
He's already developed contactless service at his other restaurant, 302 Wheaton. The burger restaurant and taphouse opened last fall.
"It's not the spring that we had anticipated," he said. "We would love to have people out on our patio hanging out more on these beautiful days that we've had. But the community has been super supportive of us."
To build enthusiasm for Shane's, Schlickman is featuring the deli's popular menu items at 302 Wheaton. The latter began offering the Shane's Club Salsalito as the first installment of a "Sandwich of the Week."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--May 18 COVID-19 cases per county; search by ZIP code

Since the outbreak began , there have been 49,495 cases of COVID-19 in the suburbs , 51 % of the state 's total , according to the Illinois Department of Public Health .
There have been 2,140 deaths in the suburbs , nearly 51 % of all deaths in Illinois .
Here are cases per county and some towns .
Not every town with cases is included .
• As of Monday , suburban Cook County had 26,526 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,208 deaths , according to the IDPH 's coronavirus website ( visit bit.ly/dhIDPHcovid19 ) .
In Chicago : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Cook County Department of Public Health and medical examiner 's office listed 1,184 cases of COVID-19 and 63 deaths in Des Plaines , 472 cases and 15 deaths in Wheeling , 452 cases and 6 deaths in Mount Prospect , 414 cases and 10 deaths in Streamwood , 390 cases and 27 deaths in Glenview , 389 cases and 7 deaths in Palatine , 341 cases and 7 deaths in Schaumburg , 322 cases and 6 deaths in Hoffman Estates , 297 cases and 13 deaths in Arlington Heights , 246 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 219 cases and 7 deaths in Rolling Meadows , 207 cases and 7 deaths in Elk Grove Village , 157 cases and 3 deaths in Prospect Heights , and 67 cases and 10 deaths in Buffalo Grove ( Cook County portion ) .
• The DuPage County Health Department reported 6,033 confirmed cases and 302 deaths on its coronavirus website Monday .
• Cases and deaths per suburb include 555 cases and 5 deaths in Addison , 542 cases and 3 deaths in West Chicago , 427 cases and 3 deaths in Glendale @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Bensenville , 377 cases and 25 deaths in Carol Stream , 370 cases and 23 deaths in Naperville ( DuPage portion ) , 239 cases and 9 deaths in Lombard , 216 cases and 7 deaths in Aurora ( DuPage County portion ) , 196 cases and 26 deaths in Elmhurst , 166 cases and 14 deaths in Downers Grove , 160 cases and 2 deaths in Villa Park , 158 cases and 16 deaths in Wheaton , 113 cases and 16 deaths in Willowbrook , and 110 cases and 2 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County Health Department listed 6,662 confirmed cases and 208 deaths as of Monday .
• Cases in some towns : 1,960 to 1,964 in Waukegan ; 260 to 264 in Mundelein ; 185 to 189 in Gurnee ; 150 to 154 in Round Lake ; 125 to 129 in Vernon Hills ; 65 to 69 in Libertyville ; 80 to 84 in Buffalo Grove ( Lake County portion ) ; 90 to 94 each in Wauconda , 70 to 74 in Lake Zurich ; 60 to 64 in Grayslake ; and 25 to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kane County Health Department confirmed 4,633 cases with 116 deaths on its website Monday at kanehealth.com .
• Cases per town include 2,129 in Aurora ( Kane County portion ) , 1,046 in Elgin ( Kane portion ) , 420 in Carpentersville , 185 in South Elgin , 180 in St. Charles , 103 in Geneva , 95 in North Aurora , 77 in Batavia , and 30 in Algonquin ( Kane County portion ) .
• There have been 1,211 cases and 62 deaths in McHenry County , according to the health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been 4,508 cases of COVID-19 and 239 deaths , according to the county health department 's website Monday .
• Cases per town include 258 in Naperville ( Will County portion ) , and 45 in Aurora ( Will County portion ) .

May 18 COVID-19 cases per county; search by ZIP code
Cook County's Department of Public Health has a website, shown here at the end of March, that breaks down cases of COVID-19 suburb by suburb.
Interactive map
Since the outbreak began, there have been 49,495 cases of COVID-19 in the suburbs, 51% of the state's total, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 2,140 deaths in the suburbs, nearly 51% of all deaths in Illinois.
Here are cases per county and some towns. Not every town with cases is included.
Cook County
• As of Monday, suburban Cook County had 26,526 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 1,208 deaths, according to the IDPH's coronavirus website (visit bit.ly/dhIDPHcovid19). In Chicago: 37,434 cases and 1,681 fatalities.
• The Cook County Department of Public Health and medical examiner's office listed 1,184 cases of COVID-19 and 63 deaths in Des Plaines, 472 cases and 15 deaths in Wheeling, 452 cases and 6 deaths in Mount Prospect, 414 cases and 10 deaths in Streamwood, 390 cases and 27 deaths in Glenview, 389 cases and 7 deaths in Palatine, 341 cases and 7 deaths in Schaumburg, 322 cases and 6 deaths in Hoffman Estates, 297 cases and 13 deaths in Arlington Heights, 246 cases and 27 deaths in Park Ridge, 219 cases and 7 deaths in Rolling Meadows, 207 cases and 7 deaths in Elk Grove Village, 157 cases and 3 deaths in Prospect Heights, and 67 cases and 10 deaths in Buffalo Grove (Cook County portion).
DuPage County
• The DuPage County Health Department reported 6,033 confirmed cases and 302 deaths on its coronavirus website Monday.
• Cases and deaths per suburb include 555 cases and 5 deaths in Addison, 542 cases and 3 deaths in West Chicago, 427 cases and 3 deaths in Glendale Heights, 392 cases and 8 deaths in Bensenville, 377 cases and 25 deaths in Carol Stream, 370 cases and 23 deaths in Naperville (DuPage portion), 239 cases and 9 deaths in Lombard, 216 cases and 7 deaths in Aurora (DuPage County portion), 196 cases and 26 deaths in Elmhurst, 166 cases and 14 deaths in Downers Grove, 160 cases and 2 deaths in Villa Park, 158 cases and 16 deaths in Wheaton, 113 cases and 16 deaths in Willowbrook, and 110 cases and 2 deaths in Glen Ellyn.
Lake County
• The Lake County Health Department listed 6,662 confirmed cases and 208 deaths as of Monday.
• Cases in some towns: 1,960 to 1,964 in Waukegan; 260 to 264 in Mundelein; 185 to 189 in Gurnee; 150 to 154 in Round Lake; 125 to 129 in Vernon Hills; 65 to 69 in Libertyville; 80 to 84 in Buffalo Grove (Lake County portion); 90 to 94 each in Wauconda, 70 to 74 in Lake Zurich; 60 to 64 in Grayslake; and 25 to 29 in Lake Villa.
Kane County
• The Kane County Health Department confirmed 4,633 cases with 116 deaths on its website Monday at kanehealth.com.
• Cases per town include 2,129 in Aurora (Kane County portion), 1,046 in Elgin (Kane portion), 420 in Carpentersville, 185 in South Elgin, 180 in St. Charles, 103 in Geneva, 95 in North Aurora, 77 in Batavia, and 30 in Algonquin (Kane County portion).
McHenry County
• There have been 1,211 cases and 62 deaths in McHenry County, according to the health department's website Monday.
Will County
• There have been 4,508 cases of COVID-19 and 239 deaths, according to the county health department's website Monday.
• Cases per town include 258 in Naperville (Will County portion), and 45 in Aurora (Will County portion).


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-18--A song to make you smile: "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World

We 're trying to inject a little positivity in the paper ( and on dailyherald.com ) with a daily `` @ @ @ @ @ . ''
It 's designed to help lift you out of your coronavirus funk .
@ @ @ @ @ The Middle '' by Jimmy Eat World , released in 2001 .

A song to make you smile: "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World
Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World plays in the 2018 Forecastle Music Festival in Louisville, Ky.
We're trying to inject a little positivity in the paper (and on dailyherald.com) with a daily "Song to Make You Smile."
It's designed to help lift you out of your coronavirus funk.
Today's selection is "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World, released in 2001.
Send your ideas to suggestions@dailyherald.com.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--Tropical Storm Arthur spins out to sea, will drench Bermuda

Tropical Storm Arthur moved further out to sea Tuesday and was expected to dissipate into a depression before dumping heavy rain on Bermuda later in the week .
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season sent rain over North Carolina Monday and forecasters warned to expect dangerous surf and rip currents for another day along parts of the U.S. East Coast .
The storm had top sustained winds of 60 mph ( 95 kmh ) Tuesday morning , and was moving east-northeast at 15 mph ( 24 kmh ) on a path that would carry its center over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The storm represented another early start for the Atlantic hurricane season .
Arthur formed Saturday in waters off Florida , marking the sixth straight year that a named storm has developed before June 1 .
By late Monday , storm watches and warnings in effect for parts of the North Carolina coast were canceled .
North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said conditions were stable apart from some minor flooding in the Outer Banks , and no other serious problems had been reported to the state , but he warned that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the storm pushes out to sea .

Tropical Storm Arthur spins out to sea, will drench Bermuda
In this satellite image made available by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Arthur off the coast of North Carolina, Monday, May 18, 2020. The storm dropped several inches of rain on parts of eastern North Carolina and flooded roads before moving out to sea away from the state. (NOAA via AP) Associated Press
Tropical Storm Arthur moved further out to sea Tuesday and was expected to dissipate into a depression before dumping heavy rain on Bermuda later in the week.
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season sent rain over North Carolina Monday and forecasters warned to expect dangerous surf and rip currents for another day along parts of the U.S. East Coast.
The storm had top sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kmh) Tuesday morning, and was moving east-northeast at 15 mph (24 kmh) on a path that would carry its center over the island of Bermuda on Thursday.
The storm represented another early start for the Atlantic hurricane season. Arthur formed Saturday in waters off Florida, marking the sixth straight year that a named storm has developed before June 1.
By late Monday, storm watches and warnings in effect for parts of the North Carolina coast were canceled.
North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said conditions were stable apart from some minor flooding in the Outer Banks, and no other serious problems had been reported to the state, but he warned that people should remain cautious around the water even as the storm pushes out to sea.
___
Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/JonathanLDrew


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--5 things to know today - that aren't about the virus

Your daily look at nonvirus stories in the news : 1 .
VIDEO SURFACES OF POLICE CONFRONTATION WITH ARBERY A @ @ @ @ @ in Georgia attempting to search Ahmaud Arbery 's parked car , and when he refuses @ @ @ @ @ to walk back to the vehicle an officer tries to tase him .
2 .
@ @ @ @ @ AIDE The granddaughter of civil rights leader CÃ©sar ChÃ¡vez is joining Joe Biden 's campaign @ @ @ @ @ .
3 .
'SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ' A U.N. investigative team cites new evidence that should @ @ @ @ @ extremists of crimes against the Yazidi minority in 2014 .
4 .
MYANMAR SEIZES LARGE @ @ @ @ @ discovery provides the first evidence that the synthetic opioid is being produced in quantity in @ @ @ @ @ Triangle region .
5 .
ROONEY RULE AMENDED The NFL is expanding the hiring rule @ @ @ @ @ minority candidates for head coaching and coordinator positions , the AP has learned .

5 things to know today - that aren't about the virus
FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2020 file photo, personal effects recovered from the Titanic sit on shelves at a storage facility in Atlanta. A federal judge in Virginia has ruled that a salvage firm can retrieve the Marconi wireless telegraph machine that broadcast distress calls from the sinking Titanic ocean liner. In an order released Monday, May 18, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Beach Smith agreed that the telegraph is historically and culturally important and could soon be lost within the rapidly decaying wreck site. Associated Press
Boats are anchored at a fishing harbor at Paradeep, on the Bay of Bengal coast in Orissa, India, Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Cyclone Amphan was moving toward India and Bangladesh on Tuesday as authorities tried to evacuate millions of people while maintaining social distancing. Associated Press
FILE - In this Saturday, May 16, 2020, file photo, a protester with an image of Ahmaud Arbery on a mask joins others gathering outside the Glynn County Courthouse for a rally to protest the shooting of Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. A video released Monday shows police in Georgia attempting to search Arbery's parked car in 2017 and when he refuses and attempts to walk back to the vehicle an officer tried to tase him. (Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File) Associated Press
Your daily look at nonvirus stories in the news:
1. VIDEO SURFACES OF POLICE CONFRONTATION WITH ARBERY A video from 2017 shows police in Georgia attempting to search Ahmaud Arbery's parked car, and when he refuses to let them and begins to walk back to the vehicle, an officer tries to tase him.
2. STORM SWIRLS OVER BAY OF BENGAL A powerful cyclone is moving toward India and Bangladesh as authorities try to evacuate millions of people from the storm's path. Forecasters warn of extensive damage from high winds, heavy rainfall and tidal waves.
3. BIDEN HIRES FORMER KAMALA HARRIS AIDE The granddaughter of civil rights leader César Chávez is joining Joe Biden's campaign to help with Latino outreach.
4. EX-WWE PERFORMER DISAPPEARS IN RIP CURRENT Shad Gaspard, a former World Wrestling Entertainment pro, is still missing after being swept out to sea in Southern California last weekend while he was swimming with his son.
5. TITANIC RULING A federal judge in Virginia rules that a salvage firm can retrieve the Marconi wireless telegraph machine that broadcast distress calls from the sinking Titanic ocean liner.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--Outbreak 'falling from our peak' as Pritzker touts per capita testing rate

Illinois is now leading the nation 's most populated states in per capita COVID-19 testing , Gov .
J.B. Pritzker reported Tuesday during his daily briefing .
`` Over the last several weeks , we 've seen Illinois make significant , measurable progress growing our daily testing numbers , '' he said .
Almost 5 % of the population has been tested .
The governor also suggested the state 's outbreak might have peaked as hospitalizations , ICU beds devoted to coronavirus patients and ventilator use have all continued to decline over the course of several days .
`` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peak , '' Pritzker said .
`` But if you look at all the metrics , they 're not all headed straight down . ''
State health officials announced Tuesday that another 146 residents have died from COVID-19 infections , while an additional 1,545 residents were diagnosed with the disease .
That brings the state 's death toll to 4,379 , with 98,030 residents now having tested positive for the disease since the outbreak began .
The new cases are among a batch of 18,443 test results and showed a 8.4 % positivity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's seven-day positivity rate rolling average is now 10 % .
A week ago , a week 's worth of tests yielded an average positivity rate of 13.6 % .
Testing large numbers of people is seen as key to tamping down the outbreak by quickly identifying those infected , isolating them and tracing their contacts .
Besides Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike , Pritzker also invited two other infectious disease experts to the briefing Tuesday to discuss the importance of following state public health guidelines during the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ University of Chicago 's infectious disease prevention and control program , said the strides the state has made to combat the spread of the virus is due to people following those guidelines .
`` This is exactly the mark of success , '' Landon said .
`` But our transmission balance is tenuous and business as usual could set off another wave of infections that threaten our lives and our livelihoods . ''
She urged residents to be vigilant about social distancing and especially wearing masks in public places .
`` Never leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ always put it on when you go inside a building , or if you 're near other people outside , '' she said .
`` Soon , it will be as natural as wearing pants , which most of us are pretty good about . ''
Dr. Richard Novak , head of the University of Illinois Health System 's division of infectious diseases , said the sacrifices Illinois residents have made these past three months have resulted in hospitals not being overwhelmed by patients .
`` By all measures it appears we 're @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .
`` We do these things because it protects those around us . ''
Novak noted vaccine trials are expected to start this summer and urged anyone to volunteer to participate in the trials as well .
In addition to the lower daily positivity rate , IDPH reported the fewest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday since the state began publishing those reports on April 12 .
There were 4,002 people hospitalized for the virus Monday .
The number of virus-related intensive care patients also dipped below 1,000 for the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is great news , '' Ezike said .
`` The measures have been working .
The staying at home , the masks , the social distancing , all of those things are effective , that 's why we 've got numbers that are improving . ''
Pritzker also said he plans to be in Springfield Wednesday as the legislature returns for an abbreviated session .

Outbreak 'falling from our peak' as Pritzker touts per capita testing rate
Illinois is now leading the nation's most populated states in per capita COVID-19 testing, Gov. J.B. Pritzker reported Tuesday during his daily briefing.
"Over the last several weeks, we've seen Illinois make significant, measurable progress growing our daily testing numbers," he said.
Almost 5% of the population has been tested.
The governor also suggested the state's outbreak might have peaked as hospitalizations, ICU beds devoted to coronavirus patients and ventilator use have all continued to decline over the course of several days.
"I am optimistic we are falling from our peak," Pritzker said. "But if you look at all the metrics, they're not all headed straight down."
State health officials announced Tuesday that another 146 residents have died from COVID-19 infections, while an additional 1,545 residents were diagnosed with the disease.
That brings the state's death toll to 4,379, with 98,030 residents now having tested positive for the disease since the outbreak began.
The new cases are among a batch of 18,443 test results and showed a 8.4% positivity rate for the day. The state's seven-day positivity rate rolling average is now 10%. A week ago, a week's worth of tests yielded an average positivity rate of 13.6%.
Testing large numbers of people is seen as key to tamping down the outbreak by quickly identifying those infected, isolating them and tracing their contacts.
Besides Illinois Department of Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike, Pritzker also invited two other infectious disease experts to the briefing Tuesday to discuss the importance of following state public health guidelines during the pandemic.
Dr. Emily Landon, head of the University of Chicago's infectious disease prevention and control program, said the strides the state has made to combat the spread of the virus is due to people following those guidelines.
"This is exactly the mark of success," Landon said. "But our transmission balance is tenuous and business as usual could set off another wave of infections that threaten our lives and our livelihoods."
She urged residents to be vigilant about social distancing and especially wearing masks in public places.
"Never leave the house without your face cover and always put it on when you go inside a building, or if you're near other people outside," she said. "Soon, it will be as natural as wearing pants, which most of us are pretty good about."
Dr. Richard Novak, head of the University of Illinois Health System's division of infectious diseases, said the sacrifices Illinois residents have made these past three months have resulted in hospitals not being overwhelmed by patients.
"By all measures it appears we're making slow but steady progress," he said. "We do these things because it protects those around us."
Novak noted vaccine trials are expected to start this summer and urged anyone to volunteer to participate in the trials as well.
In addition to the lower daily positivity rate, IDPH reported the fewest number of COVID-19 hospitalizations on Monday since the state began publishing those reports on April 12. There were 4,002 people hospitalized for the virus Monday. The number of virus-related intensive care patients also dipped below 1,000 for the first time in over a month.
"It is great news," Ezike said. "The measures have been working. The staying at home, the masks, the social distancing, all of those things are effective, that's why we've got numbers that are improving."
Pritzker also said he plans to be in Springfield Wednesday as the legislature returns for an abbreviated session.


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--Another year, another record May rainfall: Where the flooding persists

The weekend deluge that caused widespread flooding throughout the Chicago area also pushed the region to a record May rainfall for the third consecutive year .
And , while some communities were drying out Tuesday , others were still dealing with the remnants of too much standing water .
One is Des Plaines , where police say travel in the city 's downtown was difficult with some thoroughfares still closed .
National Weather Service projections show the Des Plaines River near the city should fall just below the 19-foot major flood stage about 1 p.m. Wednesday .
The river 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 15 feet , according to the weather service .
`` The whole north end of town is closed to one degree or another , '' Des Plaines police officer Michael Heidkamp said .
River Road from Northwest Highway/Miner Street to Rand Road remained closed in both directions .
Adding to the woes was the continued two-way shutdown of Northwest Highway at an S-curve near Don 's Dock restaurant .
Rand Road also was closed in both directions from Golf to River roads .
Central Road was barricaded from River Road to East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flood-related injuries have been reported , Heidkamp said , but several drivers got stuck in floodwater after going around barricades .
Tuesday afternoon the National Weather Service reported 8.3 inches of precipitation has fallen on the Chicago region so far in May , breaking the record for the month for the third year in a row .
The previous record of 8.25 inches set last year , after record rainfall of 8.21 inches fell in May 2018 .
However , officials reported improving conditions in the region , including in Lincolnshire , Gurnee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the National Weather Service predicted the Des Plaines River would crest at around 10.5 feet near Gurnee , but the high-water mark was down to 9.8 feet Tuesday .
In Lincolnshire , where the river was at major flood stage Monday , waters had receded to moderate flood stage a day later .
The DuPage River near Naperville peaked near 11 feet Sunday evening and has receded to roughly 9 feet , according to U.S. Geological Survey data .
The city experienced some street flooding Sunday , but all roads had reopened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Creek in Lisle mirrors that trend , cresting around 13 feet Sunday evening and falling to less than 6 feet by Tuesday afternoon , U.S. Geological Survey data show .
Flooding along the creek forced the evacuation of three apartments buildings , but officials on Tuesday said most residents had been allowed back into their homes .
Parts of two residential streets elsewhere in the Arboretum Village remained closed .
State officials said they are still watching the Fox River , which is likely to rise throughout the week as water enters from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to deal with the extreme rainfall we 've seen , '' said Wes Cattoor , the acting section chief for engineering studies at Illinois Department of Natural Resources .
• Daily Herald reporters Doug T. Graham and Marie Wilson contributed to this report

Another year, another record May rainfall: Where the flooding persists
The weekend deluge that caused widespread flooding throughout the Chicago area also pushed the region to a record May rainfall for the third consecutive year.
And, while some communities were drying out Tuesday, others were still dealing with the remnants of too much standing water.
One is Des Plaines, where police say travel in the city's downtown was difficult with some thoroughfares still closed.
National Weather Service projections show the Des Plaines River near the city should fall just below the 19-foot major flood stage about 1 p.m. Wednesday. The river's flood stage as it affects the city is 15 feet, according to the weather service.
"The whole north end of town is closed to one degree or another," Des Plaines police officer Michael Heidkamp said.
River Road from Northwest Highway/Miner Street to Rand Road remained closed in both directions. Adding to the woes was the continued two-way shutdown of Northwest Highway at an S-curve near Don's Dock restaurant.
Rand Road also was closed in both directions from Golf to River roads. Central Road was barricaded from River Road to East River Road, Heidkamp said.
No flood-related injuries have been reported, Heidkamp said, but several drivers got stuck in floodwater after going around barricades.
Tuesday afternoon the National Weather Service reported 8.3 inches of precipitation has fallen on the Chicago region so far in May, breaking the record for the month for the third year in a row. The previous record of 8.25 inches set last year, after record rainfall of 8.21 inches fell in May 2018.
However, officials reported improving conditions in the region, including in Lincolnshire, Gurnee, Naperville and Lisle.
On Monday, the National Weather Service predicted the Des Plaines River would crest at around 10.5 feet near Gurnee, but the high-water mark was down to 9.8 feet Tuesday.
In Lincolnshire, where the river was at major flood stage Monday, waters had receded to moderate flood stage a day later.
The DuPage River near Naperville peaked near 11 feet Sunday evening and has receded to roughly 9 feet, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. The city experienced some street flooding Sunday, but all roads had reopened by Monday morning.
Nearby St. Joseph Creek in Lisle mirrors that trend, cresting around 13 feet Sunday evening and falling to less than 6 feet by Tuesday afternoon, U.S. Geological Survey data show. Flooding along the creek forced the evacuation of three apartments buildings, but officials on Tuesday said most residents had been allowed back into their homes. Parts of two residential streets elsewhere in the Arboretum Village remained closed.
State officials said they are still watching the Fox River, which is likely to rise throughout the week as water enters from Wisconsin.
"We're just trying to deal with the extreme rainfall we've seen," said Wes Cattoor, the acting section chief for engineering studies at Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
• Daily Herald reporters Doug T. Graham and Marie Wilson contributed to this report


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--Why Buffalo Grove isn't joining other suburbs' efforts to alter Pritzker plan

Citing concerns that it could pit one part of the village against the other , the Buffalo Grove village board decided Monday not to take action on a resolution urging Gov .
J.B. Pritzker to modify his Restore Illinois plan .
Trustees were most vocal in their opposition to the measure 's suggestion that the state replace the reopening plan 's four regions with the previously established 11 Emergency Medical Services Regions .
Village Manager Dane Bragg pointed out that under that proposal , Buffalo Grove would sit in two EMS regions .
That could potentially lead to one part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reopening phase than the other .
`` There could be different statistics from each of those two EMS regions , which means we could have businesses that have different regulations depending on their location , '' he said .
`` So the best example I can give to you of that is the Jersey Mike 's on the east side of ( Route ) 83 may be restricted from opening , but the Jimmy John 's on the west side of 83 may be allowed to open under that scenario . ''
Bragg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to determine whether the resolution , proposed by the Northwest Municipal Conference , would help or hurt the village .
Similar resolutions were approved Monday night by village leaders in Palatine , Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates .
Trustee Joanne Johnson said she is not in favor of the plan because it would divide the village .
`` It pits our businesses against each other , '' she said .
`` It could be confusing to our residents .
It could be confusing to a lot of people . ''
Pointing out Lake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tests , Johnson said being split into two regions may result in northern Buffalo Grove opening later than under the current plan .
`` We could be punishing ourselves , '' she said .
`` We 're actually getting a gift by being able to be clumped in with these other counties . ''
Trustee Andrew Stein said he does n't want to see the village `` split into basically two halves . ''
`` It tugs at my heartstrings that we have got businesses that would like to open a little bit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just think it makes more sense to go with the governor 's plan . ''
Trustee Gregory Pike said the resolution undermines the governor and could hinder the village 's ability to get state and federal help to fill pandemic-related budget gaps .
The resolution also urges the governor to allow restaurants to reopen in Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan -- which could begin May 29 -- rather than Phase 4 .
`` There are obviously health concerns with that , '' Bragg said .
`` We are looking at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for restaurants , even in Phase 3 , so that there would be , for example , in open air shopping centers , there may be some common tables and places that people could sit outside and eat .
We 're still researching a lot of details related to that that are independent of this resolution . ''

Why Buffalo Grove isn't joining other suburbs' efforts to alter Pritzker plan
Unlike several of their Northwest suburban neighbors, Buffalo Grove trustees Monday chose not to pass a resolution urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to modify his Restore Illinois plan to potentially allow suburban businesses to reopen sooner. Daily Herald File Photo
Citing concerns that it could pit one part of the village against the other, the Buffalo Grove village board decided Monday not to take action on a resolution urging Gov. J.B. Pritzker to modify his Restore Illinois plan.
Trustees were most vocal in their opposition to the measure's suggestion that the state replace the reopening plan's four regions with the previously established 11 Emergency Medical Services Regions.
Village Manager Dane Bragg pointed out that under that proposal, Buffalo Grove would sit in two EMS regions. That could potentially lead to one part of the village being in a different reopening phase than the other.
"There could be different statistics from each of those two EMS regions, which means we could have businesses that have different regulations depending on their location," he said. "So the best example I can give to you of that is the Jersey Mike's on the east side of (Route) 83 may be restricted from opening, but the Jimmy John's on the west side of 83 may be allowed to open under that scenario."
Bragg said there isn't enough data available to determine whether the resolution -- proposed by the Northwest Municipal Conference, a consortium of 42 suburbs and Northfield Township -- would help or hurt the village. Similar resolutions were approved Monday night by village leaders in Palatine, Arlington Heights and Hoffman Estates.
Trustee Joanne Johnson said she is not in favor of the plan because it would divide the village.
"It pits our businesses against each other," she said. "It could be confusing to our residents. It could be confusing to a lot of people."
Pointing out Lake County's high positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, Johnson said being split into two regions may result in northern Buffalo Grove opening later than under the current plan.
"We could be punishing ourselves," she said. "We're actually getting a gift by being able to be clumped in with these other counties."
Trustee Andrew Stein said he doesn't want to see the village "split into basically two halves."
"It tugs at my heartstrings that we have got businesses that would like to open a little bit sooner," he said. "I just think it makes more sense to go with the governor's plan."
Trustee Gregory Pike said the resolution undermines the governor and could hinder the village's ability to get state and federal help to fill pandemic-related budget gaps.
The resolution also urges the governor to allow restaurants to reopen in Phase 3 of the Restore Illinois plan -- which could begin May 29 -- rather than Phase 4.
"There are obviously health concerns with that," Bragg said. "We are looking at ways that we could accommodate outdoor seating for restaurants, even in Phase 3, so that there would be, for example, in open air shopping centers, there may be some common tables and places that people could sit outside and eat. We're still researching a lot of details related to that that are independent of this resolution."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--Elgin restaurant plans outdoor drive-in movie

An Elgin restaurateur 's idea of hosting a drive-in movie showing on a giant screen in the parking lot is selling out quickly , perhaps paving the way for more such entertainment across the suburbs .
Nick Smith is the co-owner of Old Republic Kitchen + Bar at 155 S. Randall Road in Elgin .
He is also the writer and director of the 2011 independent horror/suspense PG-13 thriller `` Munger Road . ''
The idea of showing his movie came after he read about the popular reopening of the McHenry Outdoor Theater earlier this month during the COVID-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ such a large space here in Elgin , because of the side of the restaurant and the parking lot and what not , and of course I have very close ties to moviemaking , '' he said .
`` People just want to get out of their houses and do something different . ''
A total 100 tickets went on sale at 6 p.m. Monday and only five tickets remained by 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $ 30 per vehicle , $ 40 including two bags of popcorn and $ 50 including two bags @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The limit on tickets is to ensure people get a good view , but access to the parking lot of the strip mall that includes Marcus Elgin Cinema , IHOP and Applebee 's will remain open to the public , Smith said .
Smith said he rented the largest free-standing screen he could find , at 40-foot by 20-foot , from a company in Indiana .
Sound will be broadcast on FM radio ; the showing will be rescheduled if it rains .
City spokeswoman Molly Gillespie said final permit approval has n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as details are worked out to comply with state guidelines for drive-in movies , including maintaining social distancing .
Old Republic , which opened in 2018 in the former Lone Star Steakhouse building , has been doing OK during the COVID-19 pandemic , Smith said .
`` Business is definitely down from what it was before the pandemic , but we are actually doing fairly well .
We 're very blessed for that .
We have a great staff , great people here , and that 's a big help . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 12 suburban restaurants including Alexander 's , Rookie 's and Village Squire , many of whose staff members will be working at the drive-in , Smith said .
There will be a concession stand selling popcorn , candy and soda , and employees will take orders at the cars ' windows .
There will be portable toilets , hand sanitizer stations and police security .
`` It 's a fairly expensive ordeal , '' he said .
`` We 'll have to see how we come out . ''
All employee will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their cars will have to wear masks , as per the governor 's executive order about drive-ins , he said .
Smith said it was easy enough to do this with his own movie , because he owns it .
Doing this with other movies in the future would require getting the appropriate movie license , he said .
`` If this is a success , we would definitely consider future events . ''

Elgin restaurant plans outdoor drive-in movie
Old Republic Bar + Kitchen restaurant in Elgin plans to host an outdoor drive-in showing of the independent horror/suspense thriller "Munger Road" May 30. rendering courtesy of BRIAN VOSS
An Elgin restaurateur's idea of hosting a drive-in movie showing on a giant screen in the parking lot is selling out quickly, perhaps paving the way for more such entertainment across the suburbs.
Nick Smith is the co-owner of Old Republic Kitchen + Bar at 155 S. Randall Road in Elgin. He is also the writer and director of the 2011 independent horror/suspense PG-13 thriller "Munger Road."
The idea of showing his movie came after he read about the popular reopening of the McHenry Outdoor Theater earlier this month during the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith said.
"We have such a large space here in Elgin, because of the side of the restaurant and the parking lot and what not, and of course I have very close ties to moviemaking," he said. "People just want to get out of their houses and do something different."
A total 100 tickets went on sale at 6 p.m. Monday and only five tickets remained by 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 per vehicle, $40 including two bags of popcorn and $50 including two bags of popcorn and a 16-inch pizza.
The limit on tickets is to ensure people get a good view, but access to the parking lot of the strip mall that includes Marcus Elgin Cinema, IHOP and Applebee's will remain open to the public, Smith said.
Smith said he rented the largest free-standing screen he could find, at 40-foot by 20-foot, from a company in Indiana. Sound will be broadcast on FM radio; the showing will be rescheduled if it rains.
City spokeswoman Molly Gillespie said final permit approval hasn't been issued but is expected as soon as details are worked out to comply with state guidelines for drive-in movies, including maintaining social distancing.
Old Republic, which opened in 2018 in the former Lone Star Steakhouse building, has been doing OK during the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith said.
"Business is definitely down from what it was before the pandemic, but we are actually doing fairly well. We're very blessed for that. We have a great staff, great people here, and that's a big help."
The restaurant is part of a family-owned group of 12 suburban restaurants including Alexander's, Rookie's and Village Squire, many of whose staff members will be working at the drive-in, Smith said.
There will be a concession stand selling popcorn, candy and soda, and employees will take orders at the cars' windows. There will be portable toilets, hand sanitizer stations and police security.
"It's a fairly expensive ordeal," he said. "We'll have to see how we come out."
All employee will wear masks and any patrons who leave their cars will have to wear masks, as per the governor's executive order about drive-ins, he said.
Smith said it was easy enough to do this with his own movie, because he owns it. Doing this with other movies in the future would require getting the appropriate movie license, he said.
"If this is a success, we would definitely consider future events."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--St. Charles family, friend survive crash: 'We figure God was in the car with them'

It was bad , but it could have been a lot worse .
That was the sentiment expressed Tuesday by St. Charles East girls volleyball coach Jennie Kull and daughter Morgan while recovering from a Kentucky automobile crash that seriously injured four .
On May 8 , Jennie , husband Jim Kull , Morgan and her boyfriend , Jake Schweizer of St. Charles , were driving to Alabama to pick up recent graduate Morgan 's belongings at her Auburn apartment .
Jennie was driving the Mercedes-Benz SUV .
Morgan was seated behind her .
Jim was in the passenger seat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were wearing seat belts .
The foursome was passing through a wooded area near Bowling Green , KY , around noon when they ran into heavy rain .
Water quickly puddled on the roadway .
The SUV began to hit slick spots , even at the speed limit , Jennie said .
It started to hydroplane .
The tires lost traction and the vehicle went into a slide .
Morgan said she and Jake were playing Connect Four on their phones at the time .
`` All of a sudden it felt like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ road , '' she said .
`` You 're like is this really happening ?
It happened really fast .
It was the weirdest feeling . ''
`` Fortunately , I was able to aim us back away from an overpass , '' Jennie said .
`` We headed down into this wooded area .
I thought I could get between two trees , but I did n't make it . ''
The front driver 's side of the SUV hit two trees and the vehicle careened through a barbed-wire fence before coming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jennie said her biggest fear was the kids .
She wanted to make sure everyone was talking .
Morgan and Jake were both badly hurt but responsive .
Jim was not responsive initially but later walked to the ambulance with help .
The vehicle was equipped with OnStar and automatically contacted emergency services , but Jennie did not know that .
Her instinct was to get help .
Though she had suffered three broken neck vertebrae , multiple broken ribs and seat belt bruises , she got out of the SUV and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pouring rain .
However , no one saw her due to low visibility .
Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and transported all four to The Medical Center at Bowling Green .
When discharged from the hospital two days later , Jennie was picked up by her daughter , Katie Kull , and her sister , Lisa Werninger .
Both arrived in Bowling Green Friday night .
They took Jennie to a rented 3-bedroom house .
Jim was in the hospital for a week .
He broke his lower back , sternum and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lung .
Schweizer was hospitalized for 11 days .
The Marquette University biomedical engineering student and 2017 St. Charles East graduate required surgery to install a temporary brace around two fractured vertebrae that involved torn ligaments , according to Jenny Schweizer , his mother .
He also suffered a grade-III liver laceration .
Had Jake and Morgan not been wearing seat belts in the back seat , the outcome could have been far worse .
`` We have said that every day .
We figure God was in the car with them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ along with husband Terry , spent 11 days in Kentucky while their son was hospitalized .
The Kulls finally returned to St. Charles on Sunday .
Katie drove her father and Morgan in a rented minivan .
Lisa drove Jennie .
The Schweizers arrived home in St. Charles Monday .
Morgan was upbeat Tuesday despite facing a long road back to the volleyball court .
The setter and two-time St. Charles East team captain graduated from Auburn in three years .
She plans to use her final year of NCAA eligibility as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pursuing a Master 's Degree in Public Policy .
First , she must recover from a broken sternum , pelvis and coccyx .
Because Morgan also dislocated her right ankle and fractured a small foot bone , she was transferred the day of the crash from Bowling Green to University of Louisville Hospital , where she underwent reconstructive surgery .
She was discharged two days later .
Though currently healing in a hospital bed at home , she hopes to make the most of her final year of college eligibility .
`` Once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start doing some upper body stuff and then I 'll work really hard on physical therapy , '' Morgan said .
`` Hopefully , it 'll all heal sooner .
My hope is to be back .
I do n't know if it 'll be the beginning of the season or in the middle of the season or whatever , but I have to get back into it . ''
Jennie Kull said her family has been overwhelmed by the `` unbelievable '' support they have received since May 8 from family , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ St. Charles East High School community and the people of St. Charles .
`` I ca n't even put words to it , '' said Jennie , who remains in a brace and will likely require neck surgery .
`` I 'm embarrassed because , you know , this was an accident but people have been pouring out with love and support .
My volleyball kids have come over and written on my driveway ( in chalk ) and put up posters and things like that .
It 's been really cool .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagine the support .
I 'm humbled .
I 'm totally humbled .
`` We feel really blessed to be a part of this community because they have just reached out beyond belief to support us .
I could n't be more thankful . ''

St. Charles family, friend survive crash: 'We figure God was in the car with them'
COURTESY OF KATIE KULLThe car St. Charles East girls volleyball coach Jennie Kull was driving on May 8 when it hydroplaned in a rainstorm and left the road near Bowling Green, KY. The car hit a tree, seriously injuring Kull, her husband Jim, their daughter Morgan and Morgan's boyfriend Jacob Schweizer. They are all recuperating from their injuries.
COURTESY OF KATIE KULLThe car St. Charles East girls volleyball coach Jennie Kull was driving on May 8 when it hydroplaned in a rainstorm and left the road near Bowling Green, KY. The car hit a tree, seriously injuring Kull, her husband Jim, their daughter Morgan and Morgan's boyfriend Jacob Schweizer. They are all recuperating from their injuries.
St. Charles East girls volleyball coach Jennie Kull (right), her husband Jim and daughter Morgan recuperate with Kull's sister Lisa Wernsing (waving) at a rented home in Kentucky last week after Jim was released from the hospital. The Kulls, along with Morgan's boyfriend, Jacob Schweizer, were injured when their car hydroplaned in a rainstorm and left the road near Bowling Green, KY on May 8. PHOTO COURTESY KATIE KULL
It was bad, but it could have been a lot worse.
That was the sentiment expressed Tuesday by St. Charles East girls volleyball coach Jennie Kull and daughter Morgan while recovering from a Kentucky automobile crash that seriously injured four.
On May 8, Jennie, husband Jim Kull, Morgan and her boyfriend, Jake Schweizer of St. Charles, were driving to Alabama to pick up recent graduate Morgan's belongings at her Auburn apartment.
Jennie was driving the Mercedes-Benz SUV. Morgan was seated behind her. Jim was in the passenger seat, Schweizer behind him. All four were wearing seat belts.
The foursome was passing through a wooded area near Bowling Green, KY, around noon when they ran into heavy rain. Water quickly puddled on the roadway. The SUV began to hit slick spots, even at the speed limit, Jennie said. It started to hydroplane. The tires lost traction and the vehicle went into a slide.
Morgan said she and Jake were playing Connect Four on their phones at the time.
"All of a sudden it felt like something just picked us up from the road," she said. "You're like is this really happening? It happened really fast. It was the weirdest feeling."
The vehicle left the roadway.
"Fortunately, I was able to aim us back away from an overpass," Jennie said. "We headed down into this wooded area. I thought I could get between two trees, but I didn't make it."
The front driver's side of the SUV hit two trees and the vehicle careened through a barbed-wire fence before coming to rest. It did not roll.
Jennie said her biggest fear was the kids. She wanted to make sure everyone was talking. Morgan and Jake were both badly hurt but responsive. Jim was not responsive initially but later walked to the ambulance with help.
The vehicle was equipped with OnStar and automatically contacted emergency services, but Jennie did not know that. Her instinct was to get help. Though she had suffered three broken neck vertebrae, multiple broken ribs and seat belt bruises, she got out of the SUV and made her way up to the highway in the pouring rain. However, no one saw her due to low visibility. Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter and transported all four to The Medical Center at Bowling Green.
When discharged from the hospital two days later, Jennie was picked up by her daughter, Katie Kull, and her sister, Lisa Wernsing. Both arrived in Bowling Green Friday night. They took Jennie to a rented 3-bedroom house.
Jim was in the hospital for a week. He broke his lower back, sternum and multiple other bones and suffered a collapsed lung.
Schweizer was hospitalized for 11 days. The Marquette University biomedical engineering student and 2017 St. Charles East graduate required surgery to install a temporary brace around two fractured vertebrae that involved torn ligaments, according to Jenny Schweizer, his mother. He also suffered a grade-III liver laceration.
Had Jake and Morgan not been wearing seat belts in the back seat, the outcome could have been far worse.
"We have said that every day. We figure God was in the car with them," said Jenny Schweizer, who, along with husband Terry, spent 11 days in Kentucky while their son was hospitalized.
The Kulls finally returned to St. Charles on Sunday. Katie drove her father and Morgan in a rented minivan. Lisa drove Jennie. The Schweizers arrived home in St. Charles Monday.
Morgan was upbeat Tuesday despite facing a long road back to the volleyball court. The setter and two-time St. Charles East team captain graduated from Auburn in three years. She plans to use her final year of NCAA eligibility as a graduate transfer at UIC this fall while pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Policy.
First, she must recover from a broken sternum, pelvis and coccyx. Because Morgan also dislocated her right ankle and fractured a small foot bone, she was transferred the day of the crash from Bowling Green to University of Louisville Hospital, where she underwent reconstructive surgery. She was discharged two days later.
Though currently healing in a hospital bed at home, she hopes to make the most of her final year of college eligibility.
"Once the sternum fracture heals, I can start doing some upper body stuff and then I'll work really hard on physical therapy," Morgan said. "Hopefully, it'll all heal sooner. My hope is to be back. I don't know if it'll be the beginning of the season or in the middle of the season or whatever, but I have to get back into it."
Jennie Kull said her family has been overwhelmed by the "unbelievable" support they have received since May 8 from family, friends, the volleyball community, the St. Charles East High School community and the people of St. Charles.
"I can't even put words to it," said Jennie, who remains in a brace and will likely require neck surgery. "I'm embarrassed because, you know, this was an accident but people have been pouring out with love and support. My volleyball kids have come over and written on my driveway (in chalk) and put up posters and things like that. It's been really cool. The school, you can't even imagine the support. I'm humbled. I'm totally humbled.
"We feel really blessed to be a part of this community because they have just reached out beyond belief to support us. I couldn't be more thankful."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--New grocery concept, Costco to enliven East Ogden in Naperville

The dormant properties of East Ogden Avenue in Naperville are set to get a boost not only from the city 's second Costco , but also from a new grocery store , Mayor Steve Chirico said during his fifth State of the City address .
Developer Thompson Thrift is working with a national company to build a 35,000-square-foot space for a new grocery concept on the former Fair Oaks Ford property on Ogden just west of Naper Boulevard , Chirico said as he gave the address virtually Monday to the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce .
`` Now , more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible development in Naperville , '' Chirico said .
`` This type of investment brings jobs and commerce and boosts our tax base , and it is how we can move forward . ''
The old Fair Oaks site is near the Ogden Mall property , the current home of a vacant Kmart that has been closed since 2013 and the future home of the second Costco warehouse in Naperville .
Costco plans to seek city council approval of its development plan for a store and gas station during a meeting at 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the past several years also have brought other new additions to the East Ogden area , including the first U.S. location of the Australian Mexican restaurant Guzman y Gomez , a new Culver 's and an early learning center called KLA School .
Farther west on Ogden , businesses have spruced up old sites with an Andy 's Custard , Burrito Parrilla Mexicana and a new strip mall including a Starbuck 's .
`` Focusing on the opportunities in this area instead of its challenges has led to creative solutions , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the works just east of the Fair Oaks Ford site , where Northbrook-based developer MZ Capital Partners is building 112 `` micro apartments , '' or small studio units , on the site of the now-demolished Regency Inn motel .
`` This was a unique chance to move the needle on the topic of affordable housing , '' Chirico said .
Chirico listed these as examples of economic progress while he addressed a virtual crowd because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the chamber 's 30th annual State of the City meeting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said now is the time to reinvest in infrastructure , the local economy , the city government as an organization , shared values and the broader community to move into a new future post-pandemic .
`` Our infrastructure .
Our economy .
Our organization .
Our values .
Our community .
Together , these are the unshakable foundations of Naperville 's future , '' Chirico said .
`` And together , these are the foundations of a city whose residents care about one another .
Our future may look a little different now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the kindness , compassion and generosity I see every day . ''

New grocery concept, Costco to enliven East Ogden in Naperville
The dormant properties of East Ogden Avenue in Naperville are set to get a boost not only from the city's second Costco, but also from a new grocery store, Mayor Steve Chirico said during his fifth State of the City address.
Developer Thompson Thrift is working with a national company to build a 35,000-square-foot space for a new grocery concept on the former Fair Oaks Ford property on Ogden just west of Naper Boulevard, Chirico said as he gave the address virtually Monday to the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Now, more than ever, we need to encourage responsible development in Naperville," Chirico said. "This type of investment brings jobs and commerce and boosts our tax base, and it is how we can move forward."
The old Fair Oaks site is near the Ogden Mall property, the current home of a vacant Kmart that has been closed since 2013 and the future home of the second Costco warehouse in Naperville. Costco plans to seek city council approval of its development plan for a store and gas station during a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Efforts behind the scenes for the past several years also have brought other new additions to the East Ogden area, including the first U.S. location of the Australian Mexican restaurant Guzman y Gomez, a new Culver's and an early learning center called KLA School. Farther west on Ogden, businesses have spruced up old sites with an Andy's Custard, Burrito Parrilla Mexicana and a new strip mall including a Starbuck's.
"Focusing on the opportunities in this area instead of its challenges has led to creative solutions," Chirico said.
Another of these is in the works just east of the Fair Oaks Ford site, where Northbrook-based developer MZ Capital Partners is building 112 "micro apartments," or small studio units, on the site of the now-demolished Regency Inn motel.
"This was a unique chance to move the needle on the topic of affordable housing," Chirico said.
Chirico listed these as examples of economic progress while he addressed a virtual crowd because of the COVID-19 pandemic in the chamber's 30th annual State of the City meeting.
He praised the city's resilience and said now is the time to reinvest in infrastructure, the local economy, the city government as an organization, shared values and the broader community to move into a new future post-pandemic.
"Our infrastructure. Our economy. Our organization. Our values. Our community. Together, these are the unshakable foundations of Naperville's future," Chirico said. "And together, these are the foundations of a city whose residents care about one another. Our future may look a little different now, but what hasn't changed is the kindness, compassion and generosity I see every day."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--St. Charles allows Zen Leaf to sell recreational marijuana -- for now

Zen Leaf St. Charles has been granted permission to sell recreational marijuana at its existing medical dispensary for the next 18 months .
After that , the business has pledged to either cease operations or relocate to an area deemed more appropriate by the city .
Aldermen have been debating for months whether adult-use cannabis sales should be allowed as a special use in the limited manufacturing zoning district and , more specifically , at Zen Leaf 's shop in the St. Charles Commons complex .
Company representatives submitted a set of proposed conditions last week , including a two-year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concerns over their business plan .
After shortening the sunset clause by six months , the city council voted 6-4 Monday to approve the zoning change and special use .
Aldermen had approved an ordinance last fall allowing no more than two recreational pot dispensaries in town , one of which must be linked to a medical cannabis facility that has operated in St. Charles for at least a year .
Zen Leaf is the only business that qualifies for that provision .
But its state license is tied to the shop at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the regional business and community business zoning districts where the use was permitted .
In a May 13 letter to the city , Zen Leaf attorney Tyler Manic said the company `` firmly believes '' lawmakers will amend state legislation to allow the dispensary to relocate -- and it has every intention of doing so .
An 18-month sunset clause would give Zen Leaf time to secure a new location , obtain city approval and build out the space , he said , all while continuing operations and generating `` substantial sales tax @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also promised to update the parking lot lighting , install more security cameras and add signage prohibiting on-site consumption at its existing dispensary .
The updated conditions were a selling point for Alderman David Pietryla .
`` It does show that you are open to working with us , and ( your plan ) does align with our policy that we did pass in October , '' he told Zen Leaf officials .
`` I think all roads are leading back there , and I want to thank you for that . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues among neighboring business owners , some of whom spoke against the recreational pot use at previous meetings .
The dispensary has since gained support from its most vocal opponents , including a nearby dance studio .
Still , the shop 's proximity to the Beth Fowler School of Dance was a red flag for Alderman Maureen Lewis , who voted against both the zoning change and the special use .
Aldermen Art Lemke , Rita Payleitner and Ron Silkaitis also voted `` no . ''

St. Charles allows Zen Leaf to sell recreational marijuana -- for now
Zen Leaf St. Charles has been granted permission to sell recreational marijuana at its existing medical dispensary for the next 18 months.
After that, the business has pledged to either cease operations or relocate to an area deemed more appropriate by the city.
Aldermen have been debating for months whether adult-use cannabis sales should be allowed as a special use in the limited manufacturing zoning district and, more specifically, at Zen Leaf's shop in the St. Charles Commons complex.
Company representatives submitted a set of proposed conditions last week, including a two-year expiration date, in hopes of alleviating concerns over their business plan. After shortening the sunset clause by six months, the city council voted 6-4 Monday to approve the zoning change and special use.
Aldermen had approved an ordinance last fall allowing no more than two recreational pot dispensaries in town, one of which must be linked to a medical cannabis facility that has operated in St. Charles for at least a year.
Zen Leaf is the only business that qualifies for that provision. But its state license is tied to the shop at 3714 Illinois Ave., which is outside the regional business and community business zoning districts where the use was permitted.
In a May 13 letter to the city, Zen Leaf attorney Tyler Manic said the company "firmly believes" lawmakers will amend state legislation to allow the dispensary to relocate -- and it has every intention of doing so. An 18-month sunset clause would give Zen Leaf time to secure a new location, obtain city approval and build out the space, he said, all while continuing operations and generating "substantial sales tax" for St. Charles.
The company also promised to update the parking lot lighting, install more security cameras and add signage prohibiting on-site consumption at its existing dispensary.
The updated conditions were a selling point for Alderman David Pietryla.
"It does show that you are open to working with us, and (your plan) does align with our policy that we did pass in October," he told Zen Leaf officials. "I think all roads are leading back there, and I want to thank you for that."
Company leaders also are trying to resolve issues among neighboring business owners, some of whom spoke against the recreational pot use at previous meetings. The dispensary has since gained support from its most vocal opponents, including a nearby dance studio.
Still, the shop's proximity to the Beth Fowler School of Dance was a red flag for Alderman Maureen Lewis, who voted against both the zoning change and the special use. Aldermen Art Lemke, Rita Payleitner and Ron Silkaitis also voted "no."


dailyheraldchicago--2020-05-19--Pheasant Run entrance canopy collapses in storms

A round of storms and heavy rain that rolled through the suburbs last weekend caused the collapse of the porte-cochere at the entrance of the shuttered Pheasant Run .
The St. Charles resort has been vacant and secured by fencing since shortly after its March 1 closure , said a representative of the Hostmark Hospitality Group , which manages the property .
But even when Pheasant Run was operating , he said , the canopy to the main entrance had been slated for removal .
Redevelopment plans had been drawn up to `` renovate and reposition '' the site before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up for sale in November , the Hostmark official said .
An online auction for the 18.3-acre property at 4051 E. Main St. took place in February , though the final $ 6 million bid did not meet the resort 's undisclosed reserve price .
By then , about 75 % of the resort 's staff had been laid off , and the remaining employees were told their jobs were in jeopardy .
The ownership group is still pursuing `` various strategies '' for the sale of the resort , either in its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative said .
The property maintenance team intends to work with city officials on an appropriate resolution for cleaning up the storm damage , he said .

Pheasant Run entrance canopy collapses in storms
A round of storms and heavy rain that rolled through the suburbs last weekend caused the collapse of the porte-cochere at the entrance of the shuttered Pheasant Run.
The St. Charles resort has been vacant and secured by fencing since shortly after its March 1 closure, said a representative of the Hostmark Hospitality Group, which manages the property. But even when Pheasant Run was operating, he said, the canopy to the main entrance had been slated for removal.
Redevelopment plans had been drawn up to "renovate and reposition" the site before its ownership group decided to put it up for sale in November, the Hostmark official said.
An online auction for the 18.3-acre property at 4051 E. Main St. took place in February, though the final $6 million bid did not meet the resort's undisclosed reserve price. By then, about 75% of the resort's staff had been laid off, and the remaining employees were told their jobs were in jeopardy.
The ownership group is still pursuing "various strategies" for the sale of the resort, either in its entirety or in parcels, the Hostmark representative said.
The property maintenance team intends to work with city officials on an appropriate resolution for cleaning up the storm damage, he said.