Lots Of Apartments For Joliet's Sears: 'That Would Be Very Attractive'

JOLIET, IL ? Last June, Joliet's new city economic development director Cesar Suarez was on hand to celebrate a huge achievement for the "City of Champions" ?the long empty Kmart at Larkin and Jefferson became a multi-million dollar Tony's Fresh Market and Planet Fitness.

This year, Joliet's biggest redevelopment project may turn out to be the long empty Sears store at the Louis Joliet Mall. This week, Joliet Patch reported the Sears property was sold and plans are in the works for the Ghaben Auto Group, a high-end Chicago area car dealership, to occupy the Sears property here in Joliet near Interstate 55 and Route 30.

Turns out, the redevelopment project is even more ambitious, according to Suarez, who started in Joliet last May after working several years for the city of Peoria. He replaced Derek Conley, who left Joliet to work for the city of St. Charles.

Regarding the Sears project, Suarez remarked, "I think it's exciting to see. The worst thing is to let it sit for years on end. Now, there is movement a foot and that is definitely a good sign."

Suarez said he has been involved in discussions with the re-developers of the Sears property at the mall. He stressed that no formal plans have been presented to Joliet officials for either the auto dealership or for a large apartment complex.

Suarez likes the concept of using a portion of the Sears building or parking lot for new apartments, or, as he calls it, "a residential campus."

Suarez said there are several scenarios for the Sears property, which most people may not realize, encompasses a whopping 16 acres. The land includes the massive parking lots surrounding different entrances for the Sears store that closed more than three years ago.

Suarez favors the scenario of Ghaben Auto Group occupying the former Sears and the remaining property being converted into new apartments.

He wasn't sure how many apartments could be constructed on the Sears site, but envisioned it could be between 200 and 300 apartments.

"That would be very attractive for the area," Suarez said. "I think it's a very prime site as far as residential apartments."

But as far as the number of apartment units that could go on the Sears property, "it's hard to say," Suarez said. "The market is going to dictate the number of units. It's a very prime location because it serves the entire hub that is there. Adding apartment units would benefit that entire Plainfield Road corridor that already exists."

He said it's possible that only the auto dealership venture would move forward, or in the alternative to that, only the apartment project would happen.

"It could be only A (the auto dealership) as is, or it could be perhaps both," Suarez said. "Sixteen acres is a big chunk of land, and it's something the purchaser is going to explore. He's got a lot of flexibility."

For now, Suarez remains optimistic that both would happen, calling that the ideal scenario because the growing city of Joliet needs more housing, particularly for people who are looking to rent. The influx of more housing would be a huge boost for all the existing retail stores inside the Louis Joliet Mall, as well as the nearby stores and restaurants, Suarez predicted.

As for the auto dealership, Ghaben would be a great addition for Joliet, Suarez said.

"It's a luxury car dealership," he said.

On Tuesday, Patch reported that Ghaben owns and operates a Mazda dealership in Oak Lawn and Ultimo Motors used luxury car dealerships in Northbrook, Westmont, Warrenville and Hickory Hills. Patch left a message seeking comment from Joe Ghaben, managing member with the Ghaben Auto Group, on South Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn, but he did not call back.

Suarez said it's his belief that if the auto dealership project moves ahead at Sears, the business would need a special use permit from the City Council.

Suarez did not have a timeline on how soon the Sears redevelopment project would be presented to city officials for feedback.

It's his hope that would happen in the coming months.

"We, the city, have not received any site plans. It takes time to put this all together," Suarez said Wednesday. "One or the other is positive, and getting both would be better."