Menards to build almost 450-unit storage facility for rent in Sycamore

SYCAMORE – Home improvement retailer Menards recently received approval from the city of Sycamore to build almost 450 storage units for rent on Mercantile Drive.

Menards recently petitioned the Sycamore City Council to approve plans for the self-storage facility. The council voted 5-1 on Sept. 18 to rezone 1720 Mercantile Drive to allow for the plans.

Second Ward Alderman Pete Paulsen abstained from the vote because he’s employed by Menards.

The outdoor storage facility proposed by Menards will be walled off, and a 24-hour security system will monitor the 449 units available for rent. According to city documents, the business would be managed by a Menards store team member who would split their time between the new facility and the store across the street.

First Ward Alderman Alan Bauer, who cast the lone vote against the zoning change, said he thinks a retail business at that location would generate more tax revenue for the city.

“It just seems like there’s not many parcels that are connected to both Peace Road and [Route] 23; this one was designed for retail, and so retail is a prime tax-generating tool that helps keep property tax down for the residents,” Bauer said.

Last summer, Menards first proposed to build a self-storage facility on the property directly east of the Menards store located at 1825 Mercantile Drive, but after a workshop with the Sycamore Planning and Zoning Commission, the proposal was dropped over zoning map issues, according to city documents.

In 2023, a different proposal was submitted, and Sycamore City Manager Michael Hall said city staff think the new requested zoning changes make sense.

“Now Menards is coming forward with another proposal – a piece of land that is to the south of Mercantile [Drive],” Hall said. “We actually looked at this from a staff point of view. Just to the south of that is also M-1, and so it kind of makes sense from a zoning perspective.”

Menards real estate representative Patrick Wewel said the company wants to develop the property into a self-storage facility, and he believes the facility’s services fit within the city code for the area. According to city documents, Sycamore city staff believe a self-storage facility would blend well with the nearby car wash, and the city would benefit from growth on a lot that has sat vacant for several years.

A week after the City Council approved the zoning amendment request, Bauer said he doesn’t think many jobs will be created by the facility.

“I just wonder how many retail places want to develop in there when you’ve got a development storage facility that’s not going to really generate much traffic,” he said. “And I don’t know how many jobs it’s going to create. Certainly it’ll create jobs during construction, but after that, I just don’t know if it’s going to create any jobs – maybe one or two to manage the facility.”