The Central Park Place project, which includes the old Nichols Library, is one step closer to finally being done.
At the latest Naperville Historic Preservation Commission meeting the group approved a proposed modification to the exterior façade of Central Park Place with the removal of three seat walls and setback variance for the four-story multi-use building.
Reason For The Request
Paul Mitchell, the attorney for GREAT CENTRAL PROPERTIES, said prospective retailers did not want the seat walls on the building, which is why they requested exterior facade modifications.
The property still needs to go through Planning and Zoning Comission and City Council for the setback variance. If approved it would give GCP the green light to finish construction.
They also hope to lure in a couple more retail tenants, which hasn’t been easy in the COVID era.
“We had a national retailer that we had negotiated the lease [with],” said Mitchell. “…Everything was done, [then] COVID hit they and they stop nationally all their development projects.”
Retail Tenants & Nichols
Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea and NOW Massage both have agreements with GCP to occupy two out of the four retail spaces on the first floor of Central Park Place. Old Nichols Library is one of those four spaces, and will be turned into a restaurant. All that’s needed is the right tenant.
“We had people interested in it until COVID,” said Mitchell. “But it really is ideal you got enough for 1,500 sq. foot restaurant inside of the old Nichols Library, with a big outdoor patio along Washington Street. And then in the building behind [old Nichols] you have your kitchen and stuff like that.”
The rest of the three floors will be filled with 17 condos ranging in price between $800,000 and just over $1.5 million.
If all goes well Mitchell hopes construction on Central Park Place will be done in December.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canizal reports.
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