Wheeling to raze vacant shopping center on Hintz Road

With a judge's order now in hand, Wheeling officials intend to raze a vacant, dilapidated shopping center near the northeast corner of Hintz and Old Buffalo Grove roads.

A Clark gas station at the corner is a separate property and won't be razed, officials said.

The cost of the work - estimated to be $38,700 - will become a lien that will be recouped when the roughly 3.75-acre property is sold. It is already on the market.

The village board is set to approve a contract with Langos Corp. of Barrington Hills to demolish the building on the 1700 block of Hintz Road.

Known as Garden Fresh Plaza, the site once was home to a Garden Fresh Market store, which left in 2014. The 48-year-old plaza has stood mostly vacant for years; the final tenant, Liquor Island, closed in February.

The building and parking lot have deteriorated. Several storefronts are covered by large boards, weeds have broken through the concrete in many places, and part of the lot floods after any rainfall.

Village officials sought a demolition order because of building code violations, Community Development Director Ross Klicker said in a memo.

"The structure has deteriorated to the point where it is considered a danger to the health and safety of the general public," Klicker wrote.

The village got the court order to demolish the shopping center building from Cook County circuit court Judge Martin S. Agran last month.

Langos Corp.'s demolition proposal was the least expensive of three offers the village received, Klicker said.

If asbestos removal is required, the village will get a separate contractor for that work.

Monday's meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at village hall, 2 Community Blvd. The proposed demolition contract is on the consent agenda and could be approved without public discussion. The meeting can be watched live at youtube.com/c/wheelingiltv.