The Biz Week That Was: Data center, doggy day care and theater redevelopment among highlights
Hoffman Estates says goodbye to Sears HQ, hello to Compass Datacenters as redevelopment kicks off
Though demolition and construction still lie ahead, Thursday marked a significant milestone in the transition of 273 acres in Hoffman Estates from Sears’ corporate headquarters into one of the largest data center campuses in Illinois. Dallas-based Compass Datacenters hosted a kickoff event on the property, where it plans to invest $10 billion to build five hyperscale data centers — each more than a quarter-million square feet — and provide the supply of electricity they’ll require.
After 43 years, owner of Tony’s Steamers in Winfield is hanging up the apron
After 43 years of serving up Hall of Fame-worthy hot dogs, Tony Vassil of Tony’s Steamers in Winfield is retiring. Vassil opened the first Tony’s Steamers restaurant in 1981 in Carol Stream when he was 27. He opened the Winfield location in 1987, selling the Carol Stream restaurant a couple of years later.
‘For the love of dogs’: Dog day care facility in Mount Prospect gets new owner
Eric Lewandowski is proving that you can teach an old dog day care facility new tricks. Lewandowski, the new owner of Dog Play Day Care in downtown Mount Prospect, is working to turn the facility into a one-stop shop for canine owners. Lewandowski purchased the business at 301 W. Central Road in March. The business also offers bakery treats and retail products catering to a dog’s needs, from tennis balls to shampoos to cleaning supplies.
Despite frustration over a lack of collaboration on the proposed redevelopment of the Liberty Theater and property as a gateway to downtown Libertyville, village officials say they want to work with owners to get something going. Attorney Murray Lewison, representing the unnamed owner of the vacant building at 708 N. Milwaukee Ave., got an earful from village trustees who said they were disappointed so far by progress on the proposed redevelopment.
Despite opposition, gas station plan moves forward in Wheeling
Wheeling’s plan commission on Wednesday night voted to recommend approval of plans for a gas station and other businesses on the village’s west side. A convenience store offering video gambling, a liquor store, a car wash and at least one fast-food restaurant also are planned. The roughly 4-acre property is mostly vacant. A shopping center there was demolished in 2022, and a shuttered service station that’s on a separate, adjacent parcel would meet the same fate.