Homewood trustees will consider a staff recommendation to sell the village-owned building at 2018-2020 Ridge Road to Grace Cui of Chicago Investment Group.
Cui plans to convert the former karate studio into a Mongolian barbecue restaurant.
Cui approached the village in April with a proposal to purchase the building. The previous owner deeded the property to the village in 2020, and the village planned to use it as an annex to the Homewood Science Center. After making a number of repairs, village officials determined the building needed more work to bring it up to code and agreed to consider a sale.
After Cui made a proposal for the space, the village advertised for alternative bids, as required by law, and two additional proposals were submitted by the June 11 deadline, a juice and smoothie bar and a film studio.
At the June 25 board meeting trustees heard a fourth proposal, presented after the deadline, from a downtown property owner who said he would develop a restaurant in the building.
Trustees, asking for more information, effectively tabled the matter when no motion was made to continue negotiations with Cui for the sale.