A single-story collection of former retail spaces is in the process of being demolished while other site work proceeds in the rear to clear way for the Block 59 development. (Photo by Jack McCarthy/Chronicle Media) 

“From dirt to dazzling” is the promise of Naperville’s newest retail development. 

Demolition of retail buildings at the northeast corner of Illinois Route 59 and Aurora Avenue is nearly completed, and site preparation is underway for the development of Block 59, a collection of dining and entertainment establishments. 

“Over the next year, Block 59 will invigorate the northeast corner of Route 59 and Aurora Avenue with new dining, retail, and entertainment centered around an open common area,” said Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli in his state of the city address earlier this year.  

The Route 59 site has always had a disjointed look, with aging single-story strip mall outlets and a larger space once used as a furniture store. 

In recent weeks, the entire corner has been leveled except for a single-story collection of three storefronts still being demolished.  

Also remaining in operation is Lazy Dog, a casual dining restaurant, and a Walter E. Smithe furniture and design center which appears to fit into the future Block 59’s upscale focus. 

Just north of Block 59 is Westridge Court, a 680,000-square-foot shopping area that opened in 1990 and recently had a series of exterior renovations. 

Block 59 will feature 82,500 square feet of dining, entertainment and retail space, plus a centralized square.  

“With upgraded landscaping, signage, lighting, and improved pedestrian and vehicular circulation, Block 59, along with Westridge Court, will become a neighborhood destination for the Naperville community,” according to a summary from Brixmor Property Group, a New York-based manager of 360 retail centers around the country. 

Brixmor also manages Westridge Court, which extends north to Jefferson Avenue. 

The open-air Block 59 will feature multiple free-standing buildings. Planned tenants include The Cheesecake Factory, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Shake Shack and Stan’s Donuts, alongside additional multi-tenant outparcels with Piccolo Buco by Cooper’s Hawk, First Watch, Velvet Taco, Crisp & Green, and Fresh Fin. 

Westridge Court, meanwhile, offers numerous shopping options, including The Fresh Market, Bath & Body Works, Hollywood Palms Cinema, World Market, and Painted Tree Boutiques.  

“This redevelopment (of Block 59) was highly anticipated in Naperville and redevelops an existing

An illustration of what Block 59 may look like when it is completed. (Brixmor Property Group image) 

retail center into a vibrant community asset,” according to a statement from Confluence, a landscape architecture, planning and urban design firm that assisted Brixmor. “The design is an inviting, retail-friendly, pedestrian-oriented entertainment venue for the city and the central park will host a multitude of events including musical performances, movies in the park, ice skating in the winter and will become a new gathering place for the surrounding community. 

The Naperville City Council approved the project in January 2023.  

Along with work on the Route 59 corridor there’s more redevelopment nearby. 

“Not far away, the former Dominick’s grocery store at the corner of North Aurora and Ogden Avenue will reopen as 99 Ranch Market, one of the nation’s most elite Asian American grocery chains,” Wehrli said.