Demolition contract OK’d as part of Romeoville Route 53 makeover
By Brock A. stein Correspondent November 8, 2012 1:10PM
Romeoville Mayor John Noak
Updated: December 19, 2012 10:36AM
Romeoville officials are continuing to make strides with their plans for the redevelopment of the Route 53 corridor.
Trustees approved the demolition of a building at 9 Rock Road, the site of the former Crazy Rock gentleman’s club.
Robinette Demolition, which oversaw the demolition of the former village hall, also will handle the razing of the site for a total cost of $78,050.
Assistant Village Manager Dawn Caldwell said the company will handle asbestos removal before beginning the demolition, which is expected to begin in the first week of December and take about two weeks.
Mayor John Noak said the building was in poor condition and that the area will be redeveloped as part of the overall revitalization efforts of the Route 53 corridor.
“This is going to make a lot of residents happy seeing this go away,” Noak said of the building.
In addition to the Crazy Rock demolition, trustees also approved the removal of part of a retail site at the Spartan Square plaza near the corner of Route 53 and Phelps Avenue.
Robinette Demolition also will handle the razing of the remaining storefronts on the property in two phases for a total of $234,705.
The first phase will include the demolition of a building used as a Jewel-Osco and Ace Hardware to be completed this year.
Phase 2, which will include the destruction of the remaining stores, including a King Buffet, will be completed in June 2013.
Caldwell said that the demolitions were the next steps in the downtown area’s redevelopment.
The village held a groundbreaking at the beginning of November for a planned sports and recreation community center that will be built on the site.
Funding for the redevelopment projects will come from a tax increment financing district.
“Both these projects are key components in the Route 53 revitalization,” Noak said.
Trustees also approved Dewberry Architecture as the firm for the sports center design work.
In other business, the board approved an agreement for construction services with Robinson Engineering for improvements to be made at the intersection of Material Road and Route 53.
The project will be funded through an 80 percent grant from the federal government. The project will include the addition of a signal at the intersection and the construction of turn lanes. Total cost is expected to be $1.8 million with the village expecting to pay $374,000.
