Starbucks is moving to the former Sandberg building in downtown Wheaton

One of the most recognizable buildings in downtown Wheaton is getting a significant update.

The late businessman Robert Sandberg kept his store in the building filled with men’s clothing, baseball hats and memorabilia that hearkened to another era when Chicago sports teams were contenders.

The property changed hands last year and is now in the midst of a makeover. Old cedar shake shingles have been taken down from part of the facade at the northwest corner of Main and Front streets.

Most notably, Starbucks will be moving from its current shop across the street to a larger corner space in the former Sandberg building, said Jim Kozik, the city’s planning and economic development director.

“The removal of those cedar shakes was a big first step in updating the look of the building. There’s a major investment happening to the building in terms of infrastructure,” Kozik said Friday.

The building will have a new roof, new HVAC — “new everything,” Kozik said.

“They are renovating that building top to bottom. This group who now owns the building does a fantastic job with design and just their quality of work,” said Allison Orr, executive director of the Downtown Wheaton Association.

“So we’re very grateful that they decided to take on this project, which may be one of the largest in recent history downtown, in terms of the size of this undertaking, just given the state of the building when it was acquired, and where it’s going to be at the end of the project.”

The property was sold in 2023 for $2.028 million to Sandberg Building LLC, property records show.

The new Starbucks spot is a 3,000-square-foot space, Kozik said. Another downtown business, T2, is moving to the second floor of the building. In addition, a small retail space will be on Front Street to the west of the corner, Kozik said. There will be an elevator lobby on Main Street, north of the Starbucks. And then there’s another small retail space that’s going to be facing Main.

“We’re very grateful that our community members continue to invest in downtown, to bring in not only new business, but also to allow an existing business to expand a little bit,” Orr said. “And for us, one of the most exciting parts is that that opens up another space in the current Starbucks building to allow for another new business.”

The current Starbucks building is one of the oldest in downtown Wheaton and recently got a major rehab, Kozik said.

As part of a streetscape project, the city created an outdoor seating area with a fireplace at the base of an obelisk in front of the Sandberg building.

“The customers for Starbucks,” Kozik said, “will take advantage of the amenities that are going to be right outside the door.”

· Daily Herald staff writer Susan Sarkauskas contributed to this report