McHenry’s former Stock and Field site approved for redevelopment as storage business, with new offices, restaurant on Richmond Road

The former Stock and Field store at 1860 N. Richmond Road in McHenry is set to become a 95,000-square-foot self-storage facility, with plans to add two structures north of the Popeyes that will hold a side-by-side medical and dental clinic and, in the northernmost building, a restaurant.

The McHenry City Council on Monday unanimously approved the plans proposed by Pearl Street Commercial, LLC, whose manager is Steven L. Schwartz, an attorney.

The new buildings to be constructed will be put on outlots added to the parcel.

Schwartz pitched the redevelopment to the elected officials, who acknowledged the storage business is not the preferred use in the area, as retail would generate more revenue for the city.

“We weren’t out there lobbying for a storage facility,” Mayor Wayne Jett said.

But city officials and Schwartz said they hope this project will help revitalize the area and generate more interest in bringing new retailers to the shuttered former Kmart and Sears building just north of the site targeted for storage.

“Obviously, it’s definitely not something that we see the most amount of revenue for,” McHenry’s Director of Community Development Ross Polerecky said of the storage use.

“However, we know that big box retail is gone, and we struggle with many of these empty big box stores. To be able to fill a store at this point in time with a use, and to gain the outlots that we’re gaining, we’re hoping what this does is exemplifies or gets that entire storefront a little more exposure to where we can start getting some of those smaller retails into those smaller retail spaces,” Polerecky said.

It has been difficult for the city to fill vacated big box stores in this area for years, and the storage proposal with the smaller restaurant and medical uses is an improvement to letting the go unused, officials said.

“I’m not crazy about the idea of losing the retail space for these type of facilities, but again, I don’t think brick and mortar is gone for good, but as far as big box coming back, these large buildings, it’s difficult what they can be used for and what can be productive,” Second Ward Alderman Andrew Glab said.

Some members of the public also questioned whether it wouldn’t be best for the city to hold out on moving forward with the storage facility in hopes trying to split up the former big box store into more separate spaces could help attract smaller retailers.

Another resident, Sheila Thomas, said she was comfortable with the proposal moving forward as planned.

“I personally think this is a great proposal,” Thomas said.

The restaurant building that will sit on the northern corner of the Stock and Field site facing Richmond Road has not yet had a tenant selected yet, Schwartz said.

An AspenDental office and WellNow, a walk‐in medical office clinic, are set to occupy a newly constructed building on the southern outlot.