Organics chain Fresh Thyme on tap for former Dominick's location in Geneva

GENEVA – The shuttered Dominick's at 2000 S. Randall Road in Geneva will be divided into two retail spaces, with Fresh Thyme Farmers Markets as a new tenant in one of them, a commercial real estate developer owner said.

The announcement came during the Geneva Committee of the Whole Meeting on April 24. Aldermen voted unanimously to recommend approval of the owner’s application for modifications to the landscaping and signage, as well as realignment of the parking lot islands and dividing the former Dominick’s into two retail spaces.

“Fresh Thyme is going to be the grocery store – and that lease is signed,” said Craig Whitehead of the Crown Group, which is the real estate development company for the owner, Wauconda LLC.

According to its website, freshthyme.com, the company is focused on organic food.

“And we’re in negotiations – hopefully that will be finalized – within another couple or three weeks – for the other tenant that will be taking the balance of the Dominick’s store, which is a 40,000-square-foot tenant,” Whitehead said. “It’s a national tenant. You’ll recognize their name and be happy to have them.”

Whitehead would not say the name of the secondary tenant.

Among the changes aldermen recommended approval for was increasing the number of parking spaces to 483 from 450. The parking proposal exceeds the minimum number of spaces in the city’s zoning ordinance, officials said.

Whitehead said building renovations involve the former Dominick’s and 15,000 feet just north of the former grocery store, where two spaces were formerly occupied by Five Below and Plato’s Closet.

The changes will provide a more contemporary look and unify the design for the space, documents show.

Other building improvements include updated light fixtures, awnings and trellis screening above first-floor windows, documents show.

The Crown Group also is proposing to remove and replace all the existing freestanding signs with the same materials used on the new facade to tie the design together, documents show.

The proposal also calls for removing outdated and overgrown coniferous, shade and ornamental trees and to replace them with perennials, evergreen shrubs and ornamental grasses, most of which would be indigenous to Illinois, documents show.

The Crown Group will pay the city $24,486 for the tree bank, in lieu of replacing trees, officials said.

The Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of the amendments to the Fabyan Crossing center as presented, with conditions that include final engineering approval by the city before a building permit is issued and a master landscape plan that identifies all approved landscaping for the center.

The City Council will take final action on the recommendations.

In November, aldermen approved a sales tax rebate for the property for up to $5 million as an economic incentive to redevelop the former Dominick's store. The agreement between the city of Geneva and Wauconda LLC, in care of The Crown Group Inc,. calls for a 50-50 split of sales tax.

The agreement will remain in effect for 15 years.