The Homewood Board of Trustees took action Tuesday, Oct. 8, to restart the possible redevelopment of the long-vacant former home of Delanoe’s Pizza on the east side of Dixie Highway and the long-vacant former site of Savoia T’Go on the west side.
The board approved a solicitation of alternate bids after receiving a proposal from Joaquin Anguiano, owner of Tequila CJ Cantina Grill in Chicago, to develop a Mexican restaurant at 18134-18138 Dixie Highway.
from Independence Park. Both parcels could be part of a project to build a Mexican
restaurant on the site. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
The village is required to seek alternate bids before selling village-owned properties within tax increment financing districts. The property is in the Downtown TOD TIF District.
Alternate bids and proposals for the sale and development of the property must be submitted to the village by 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11. Any bids received by then will be submitted to the board at its Nov. 12 meeting.
Anguiano proposes to create a new restaurant, Tequila, that will featured Mexica cuisine, will have on-site parking behind the building, outdoor seating and a rooftop deck.
The development would include the former Savoia T’Go site, which the village purchased in 2015. The building was demolished in 2016. It also would include Independence Park at the southwest corner of Dixie Highway and Hickory Road, which is owned by the village.
Trustee Lauren Roman asked whether the village would go beyond legal notice requirements in inviting alternate bids. She referred to a previous alternative bid process in May for which she and Trustee Allisa Opyd encouraged staff to promote the process via social media to increase community awareness about the opportunity.
“I know this is a different situation than the previous building that we were soliciting bids for since this is a vacant property, but I would still like to see a similar process happen,” Roman said. “I love the idea of a Mexican restaurant, but I think we got great feedback from the community with the process that we did last time. So I’d like to see that continue if we can.”
Economic and Community Development Director Angela Mesaros said staff plans a similar outreach to the community for this project.
Former Delanoe’s
Trustees approved the purchase of the former pizza restaurant at 18155 Dixie Highway from Full Moon Development for $15,000.
after a Mediterranean restaurant proposed several years ago failed to materialize.
(Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
The village sold the property to a developer in 2020 who proposed opening a Mediterranean restaurant there, but the establishment never materialized.
The village filed a complaint for demolition against the owner after the property remained vacant and in disrepair, detracting from the otherwise well-maintained downtown area, according to Village Manager Napoleon Haney. It has been unoccupied for more than a decade.
She said the owners decided to settle the demolition order and sell the property to the village rather than incurring costs associated with demolition.
“Once the Village acquires the property, the process to redevelop the property will begin,” Haney said in a memo to the board.