Business relocated for retail shops

Antioch clearing the way for new development

Relocating Bodycraft from its present location on Route 173 to the corner of Route 83 and Grimm Road is the first step in developing another retail shopping area in Antioch.

Tim Barrett from Great Lakes Principals, developer of Wal-Mart and Menards, and Steven Rubin, Midwest Real Estate Equities, Oakbrook, plan to develop 70 acres of retail and commercial at Grimm Road and Route 173. The auto body shop sits on three acres of choice property fronting Route 173 and is part of the property they hope to transform into an upscale retail shopping area.

The majority of the property was formerly the Boyland farm, and includes frontage on routes 83 and 173, connected by Grimm Road that runs at an angle from Route 173 to Route 83.

Moving Bodycraft leaves 30-35 acres on Route 173 from the Ford dealership east to Sequoit Creek to be developed into a retail center with medium-box stores.

This week the two developers, known as Antioch Sequoit Equities, requested the village board annex and rezone the four acres at Route 83 and Grimm Road to allow for the auto body shop.

It is across the street from the vacant Jungle Gym property that the village board last year rejected as a site for another auto body shop, Central Auto Body, which wanted to locate in the village.

Rubin said relocating Bodycraft is just the first step in development plans for the property.

"If the board approves the annexation and rezoning we anticipate Bodycraft could be moved into the new facility by fall. How quickly we move after that depends on the market, which as everyone knows isn't moving forward as we would like, so a good number of retailers are taking a wait and see attitude. If tenants don't commit, we can't move ahead, but our time frame is to move ahead as quickly as possible."

Once the Bodycraft issue is settled, "The next step is to take our plans for the balance of the property to the village for annexation, rezoning and development."