Dining destination: Crossroads of Schaumburg aims to revive prominent corner near Woodfield with 8 new restaurants

Developers behind a plan for at least eight restaurants in five new buildings on the northwest corner of Golf and Meacham roads in Schaumburg aim to create a dining destination in the Northwest suburbs equal to what its neighbor Woodfield Mall is for shopping.

The 7.4-acre Crossroads of Schaumburg development has received the unanimous recommendation of the village’s zoning board of appeals and will go before the village board June 11 for final approval.

The eight announced tenants are Lazy Dog, Piccolo Buco, Cava, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Velvet Taco, Crisp & Green, Panda Express and Naansense.

There is room for one more tenant, which could be either a store or another restaurant, said Savas Er, principal of project developer North American Real Estate.

The proposal has evolved in close communication with village planners, with the goal of matching the needs of the post-pandemic economy on the site where the long vacant and recently demolished Macy’s Furniture Gallery previously sat, Er added.

“Our tenants always believed in the strength of the Schaumburg market and have been committed to this for some time,” he said.

While emphasizing that he won’t have complete control of the construction time frame, Er generally expects a nearly simultaneous completion and opening of the new businesses to occur in either the summer or fall of next year.

Touted improvements to the site include crosswalks and sidewalks to promote accessibility from existing developments, new utilities, outdoor patios to enhance the dining experience and the corner’s public realm, and lighting ensuring safety and visibility during evening hours.

The project follows a flurry of outlot development over the past decade on the outskirts of Woodfield Mall.

By the time of last year’s demolition of Macy’s Furniture Gallery, the building had been vacant for at least six years, Schaumburg Economic Development Director Matt Frank said.

Before the Macy’s rebranding, the Marshall Field’s Home Store was built on the site where Nuclear Data had operated a research and development lab before selling the property in 1987, he added.

While earlier uses of the prominent northwest corner fit the times in which they were built, Er said he believes the proposed restaurant campus of Crossroads of Schaumburg is the best use today.