‘Bringing a retail corner back to life’: Lake County sells Round Lake Beach site
More than a decade after playing a critical role in the Lake County Division of Transportation's most expensive and complicated construction project, a key corner property in Round Lake Beach has been sold for redevelopment.
The northeast corner at Rollins Road and Route 83, then occupied by a Payless ShoeSource, was among dozens of properties Lake County acquired in 2013 for the Rollins Gateway project.
The county board Tuesday authorized the sale of the 0.648-acre parcel as excess property no longer needed for current or future transportation purposes to Front Royal DRD522 LLC of Northbrook for $428,000.
LCDOT has done this before but it’s uncommon, according to spokesperson Alex Carr.
The $75 million Rollins Gateway project, which untangled a major traffic snag in the north central part of the county, opened in 2015 and has significantly reduced traffic delays and attracted new business in the heavily traveled area.
Taking more than two years to complete, the project involved several elements, including lowering Rollins Road beneath the Canadian National railroad tracks; building a railroad bridge with room for a second track; widening the intersection at Route 83; and realigning Hainesville Road.
“There's a lot of history with this particular parcel,” Shane Schneider, LCDOT and county engineer told officials last week.
The corner was acquired in order to rebuild the intersection and construct the underpass. Payless was demolished and the site used as a staging area to store material and equipment.
“It was really critical to getting the job done,” Schneider explained.
In 2017, a policy was enacted allowing the county engineer to identify county-owned but no longer needed property and either sell it to a private party or transfer to another government agency.
Round Lake Beach inquired what could be done with the property.
“We just wanted it to be something it wasn't,” said Round Lake Beach Mayor Scott Nickles. “We definitely see it as a bonus, bringing a retail corner back to life.”
The county's board's public works and transportation committee in September 2023 concurred and gave Schneider the go ahead to begin the sale process.
An appraisal to determine the fair market value was done and the site was presented for public auction. Front Royal was the highest of two bids, at $3,000 over the market value.
Schneider said the property has “incredible access and visibility,”
“This is a good transaction and I think Round Lake Beach is going to appreciate it because that's a very busy corner,” said county board and public works and transportation committee member John Wasik.
A new business is said to be in the works but no paperwork has been filed with the village.