Well-known NW Side grocer, 7-Eleven gas station proposed at Harlem-Montrose in Village of Norridge

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by JASON MEREL

A well-known local grocery store, a 7-Eleven gas station, a Starbucks coffee shop and an Aspen Dental office are among the potential tenants for a proposed development on the former Makray Manufacturing site at 4400 N. Harlem Ave. in Norridge.

The Norridge Zoning Board of Appeals at its Aug. 3 meeting unanimously approved the project and recommended several variations and special uses to the Norridge Board of Trustees for possible approval. The village board is expected to vote on the matter at its Aug. 26 meeting.

GW Properties principal developer Mitch Goltz said the 4.3 acre site would be subdivided into four parcels and that the development would feature retail stores, restaurants with drive-through lanes and a medical office. He added that there would be approximately 260 parking spaces available.

GW Properties is developing several other projects on the Northwest Side including the former People’s Gas site at Irving Park Road and Kilpatrick Avenue and the former Maywood Racetrack at 8600 W. North Ave. in Melrose Park.

“We’re excited to bring a new project to the market, bring new business to Norridge and work collaboratively with the village,” Goltz said.

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He said plans include a 30,000 square-foot grocery store at the northwest corner of the development but negotiations are still pending and he expects that the grocery store would announce its opening in the fall. Goltz said that he was not at liberty to disclose the name of the store but hinted that the name is well known in the neighborhood after a board member asked if he would know it.

Goltz said the proposed 4,600 square-foot 7-Eleven store and gas station, which would be located at the southeast corner of the development, would be unlike other area locations, which he said are mostly converted White Hen pantries. The station would be open 24-hours a day.

A 10,000 square-foot multi-tenant building would be located on the northeast corner of the property, along Harlem Avenue, and Goltz said both Aspen Dental and Starbucks Coffee have been identified as potential tenants.

A 7,000 square-foot building would be located at the southwest corner of the development, along Montrose Avenue. Goltz said that tenants have not been identified for the space yet but plans include drive-through access for a restaurant.

During the meeting members pointed out that the drive-through would be across the street from residences and placed a restriction on hours of operation so that the drive-through would only be allowed to operate between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m.

A presentation from GW Properties said that the developer expects $35 million in retail sales to be generated annually, with an estimated sales tax return of $875,000.

In addition, GW Properties estimates that property taxes for the site will increase from the current $65,000 to $300,000 per year upon completion. The developer pointed out that between sales and property taxes, Norridge stands to gain more than $1 million in annual revenue from the project.

In addition to the revenue, GW Properties highlighted that the development would create hundreds of local construction jobs, more than 200 permanent part- and full-time jobs and the site would also feature upgraded utility infrastructure.

“Our goal would be to start demo in late summer or early fall so the project could be live by next summer,” Goltz said.

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