Board Approves New Mariano's Store; How Will This Change Frankfort?

• UPDATED (8:54 a.m. Tuesday, June 5): Facebook comments from

After laying out what the needed to vote on to approve the building of a 73,000-square-foot upscale grocery store at 21001 LaGrange Road, Trustee Mike Stevens encapsulated the future of the project perfectly.

"You might thing we're finished, but we're just getting started."

READ: Follow Patch's Coverage of the Project in Our Mariano's Section

The board unanimously passed measures at Monday's meeting that will bring a Mariano's Fresh Market to Frankfort. Construction on the upscale grocery store could begin as soon as this summer, with a target opening date of either late spring or early summer of 2013, said Steven M. Pagnotta, the president and CEO for Bradford Development, Mariano's developer.

While hailing Mariano's as a quality business, Mayor Jim Holland also praised the project for what it could mean to Frankfort's financial future.

"The development itself will open up an area in Frankfort that right now is really not available for development," he said. "It will include a new road to a part of Frankfort where new shopping can go. And these new Mariano shops attract new stores."

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, officials from the village and Bradford worked quickly to develop site plans and timelines in order to break ground this year.

On the surface, this project simply brings a new grocery store to Frankfort. But in doing so, this development has the potential to change the economic and actual landscape of the village in the near future. Using information from Monday's meeting and past coverage, Patch takes a look at the changes in store for Frankfort once Mariano's opens.

What Changes Are Ahead

The Store Itself: First and foremost, there will be a new grocery store for residents. Mariano's will provide the staple food items, as well as upscale amenities, such as sushi and an indoor dining area where customers could pick out their food in the store and have it cooked to their liking on site, said representatives from Bradford and Roundy.

The Changing Landscape: The most obvious change to the village will be the development of the area around 21001 LaGrange Road (shown in blue on the above map) for Mariano's store and parking lot. This includes the property where Red Door Realty and are located. , village officials have said.

Moving Enrico's: The biggest question from residents, though, has been: What's happening with ? Brothers Harry and Bob D'Ercole, owners of the popular Frankfort, . The sale was contingent on the board approving the store, and with that hurdle cleared, it means Enrico's will be looking for a new home. Where that will be has not been announced, but the D'Ercoles have said they have no intention of closing their restaurant for good.

On its Facebook page Tuesday morning, Enrico's addressed its future: "So yes, it's official Enrico's will be moving. However, on the Enrico's end, the timing and dates have not been finalized. We will post more details as soon as we have them, but for now, it's business as usual!"

Added Employment: , Pagnotta has said at previous meetings and reiterated Monday.

Transforming the Roadways: Another byproduct from building the new grocery store will be changes to the surrounding roadways. A signalized intersection will be created at LaGrange, ust north of the Mariano's lot. . Ideally, as Holland stated, this public roadway would open the door to more commercial development to the east.

The intersection has been approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation, and it's estimated to cost $1.6 million, which has already been set aside in this year's budget.

The other road changes will be a dedicated left turn lane on LaGrange into Mariano's, as well as a dedicated turn lane at LaGrange and U.S. Route 30. Trustees said Monday that the right turn lane onto Rt. 30 was especially needed to relieve congestion along LaGrange.

What Trustees Said About the Project

Trustee Todd Morgan: "I just want to say, wow. I think the residents of Frankfort are going to be blown away by this experience, and it's a fabulous addition. It's going to be nice to see us 'moving some dirt' in the community."

Trustee Dick Trevarthan: "I'm proud of our town for attracting this. We've worked hard for years to attract this type of upscale (business), and for years, I've said it only costs a nickel more to go first class."

Trustee Cindy Heath: "All of that (roadway) investment goes well beyond Mariano's. I think they contribute to making the Route 45-Route 30 corridor safer to drive."

Trustee Doug Walker: "We're all excited about Mariano's. It is a combination of some long-term thinking, some luck, a company that's ready to move and fits us just right. It will spur development in the east and possibly across the street."

Trustee Kevin Egan: "What a great project. What a team effort."

What do you think about the project? Did the board make the right decision? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments section.

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