Speaking of economic developments that just never gel, we’d point to the Marshall Field building in downtown Oak Park. Maybe you know it as the Border’s Bookstore space. Or if you are really new to Oak Park as the big empty building on the corner.
In the five years since Border’s closed, the Karris family, owners of the iconic building, have made every sort of promise of better days, even as they have asked for every sort of variation from the retail-focused zoning which rightly applies along Lake Street.
Three times now the village government has bent and contorted the retail-only zoning to allow Karris’ Water Tower Realty to fill its space with decidedly non-retail or restaurant uses. There was the kick-boxing gym that won a variance but never opened. And twice in the past year variances were granted, first to allow a health clinic to lease an internal portion of the ground floor and, just months ago, to allow Bank of America to take over the very prominent corner space.
Last week we reported that both of those projects were in limbo with corporate parents rethinking their strategies. We think it is time for Oak Park to rethink its strategy and declare that this space is meant for retail use, that no further compromises will be granted, and that the Karris family ought to sell this building before they think of coming forward again with a debilitating use.