The 240,000-square foot Woodman’s Food Store in Pleasant Prairie is being used as the proto-type for the proposed store to be built in Lakemoor. The company is still negotiating for the purchase of a 74-acre parcel at the intersection of routes 12 and 120.

The Village of Lakemoor, and Janesville, Wis.-based Woodman’s Food Market, Inc., have announced that preparations are moving forward with plans for a commercial site, located southwest of the intersection at routes 12 and 120, that will host a full-scale store and 12 outlots. Pending legal barriers, and the actual acquisition of the property by Woodman’s, efforts are being made to bring the project to fruition.

Lakemoor, which straddles the Lake and McHenry county lines, has long sought to develop the parcel, encompassing nearly 114 acres, through designation as a tax-increment financing district to enhance its viability. The Woodman’s portion would entail the purchase of 74 acres, although several legal and monetary challenges lie in the offing.

“The actual store is to be situated on 22 acres, but they have to buy the entire 74 acres,” said Mike Dobrowski, the village’s Director of Community and Economic Development. “They are close to finalizing terms for the property but they’re not quite there yet. The village has a number of hurdles too.

“We are working with Woodman’s on a tentative site plan, site engineering studies that need completion, and also negotiations with the Illinois Department of Transportation for access points on the state thoroughfares,” he said. “Due to the TIF district, we also have to coordinate settlements with the local taxing entities such as the township library district, and the school districts.”

The formation of a TIF district, as outlined by the Illinois Department of Revenue guidelines, effectively halts the increase of the equalized assessed valuation, or tax rate, of a specified real property for a period of up to 23 years. The property tax amounts collected above the stopped rate are placed into a fund to offset costs for infrastructure site improvements such as sewer and water lines.

Bringing the water and sewer service to the site are major concerns, with an estimated $12 million cost is pegged for the work. Lakemoor intends to utilize its own water system, although sanitary service lines and treatment would come through the Northern Moraine Water Reclamation district in Island Lake.

“They’ve been part of the development, and know we’re looking for regional commercial implications, which they are aware of,” said Dobrowski. “There is sufficient capacity at the plant to handle the volume of effluent water that would be generated.”

Lakemoor’s Mayor Todd Wiehofen is also aware of the costs for water and sewer, as well as the economic potential of the project.

“The TIF district has brought about $6 million for infrastructure, and we’re negotiating with Woodman’s for them to fund the other $6 million. There will be tax considerations involved, but this is still in process,” he said.

“This is a dramatic change, as that intersection could be worth around $160 million, with the commercial rumblings of a retail center on the east side of Route 12. The store would have about 220 employees, double that number in construction and trades people during the building phase … it’s an exciting time, a challenging time.

Woodman’s has three Illinois stores located in Rockford, Aurora, and Carpentersville. Based in Janesville, the family business has steadily grown and extends the company’s profitability by offering shares and advantages to its personnel, earning an “employee-owned” moniker.

“My great-grandfather started it all as a produce stand in 1919,” said Clint Woodman, the company’s vice president. “A few years later, my grandfather built a 500-square foot store here in Janesville. My own father grew up while working there, and when his turn came to get onto the business, he wanted to build big stores.”

In 1997, the Kenosha (Pleasant Prairie) store was opened as a 240-square foot facility, with an off-site gas station.

“Going forward, it was the proto-type for all the Woodman stores, and what we’re looking at building in Lakemoor,” he said. “At the time, it was the biggest store in the world, and we’ve built nine stores, since then.

“Hopefully, this will all be worked out … the legal hurdles, and negotiations with the city about whom covers what on the infrastructures,” he said. “Folks have heard of Woodman’s, and will drive 45 minutes to get to our other stores, just for the low pricing and the selection. We pull from a large regional area, and you’ll find our stores at major highway confluences.”

For now, village officials continue their due diligence in laying the groundwork and being able to move ahead when the property sale is concluded.

Wiehofen noted, “There are still a lot of hurdles here, but we are confident about it. This will be a big thing for the area.”

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— Lakemoor site may hold Woodman’s store —