St. CHARLES – While acknowledging the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina hopes plans will continue to advance for the redevelopment of the Charlestowne Mall and other economic opportunities in the city.
In December 2017, Krausz Companies Inc., which owns the mall, closed the center’s indoor retail stores and closed the grocery store. Presenters Von Maur and Classic Cinemas Charlestowne 18 remain open, the cinema is temporarily closed.
“Recently, we have won requests from others who need to communicate with the owners of the mall,” Rogina said Tuesday as part of a Zoom webinar organized through the legislative committee of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce.
And he took note of other progression projects. For example, there are plans to build a fuel station, convenience store and car wash on a 2.37-acre plot known as Regole’s Circle of Relatives property, located on the southeast corner of Kirk Road and East Main Street.
Assets are lately in the ousted county of Kane, but the expander must be attached to St. Charles. CIMA Developers, LP, founded in Warrenville, has presented plans to expand assets for an eight-pump Pride service station. The plans also come with the structure of a 4,500 square foot convenience store with an internal fast food facility (Taco Urbano) and an automatic car wash.
“I hope the city council sees that economic progression in this is necessary,” Rogina said.
He also expressed optimism about the remodeling of the Pheasant Run Resort property. The iconic station closed its doors on March 1 after a failed attempt to auction the station. It had opened in February 1963 and was annexed to the city in 1965.
And he also noticed the long queues for the opening of the Wahlburgers restaurant in St. Charles.
The state is lately in phase 4 of Governor JB Pritzker’s Illinois Restoration Plan, and Rogina needs the region to return to past restrictions that were in place under phase 3 of the plan.
“It’s my worst nightmare and your private nightmare back to phase three,” he said. “The governor said a lot that we’re going to move on to phase five until a vaccine happens.”
Rogina said the city would teach the public about the importance of the mask instead of handing out tickets.
“We don’t have a preference for being the mask police in St. Charles and forcing other people not to wear masks,” he said. “We have to paint with others. It’s as undeniable as that, in my opinion.”