On October 21, 2003, Alderman Margaret Laurino invited the Sauganash Community Association Board of Directors, along with five other local boards and chambers of commerce of local neighborhood associations, to Sauganash Park to listen to representatives of Imperial Realty describe their plan development for the corner of Cicero and Peterson.  Imperial had their team of experts on hand to answer any questions that might be posed from board members.

One week later, an open community meeting was held at North Park Village where essentially the same presentation was made to approximately 150 people present at the meeting.

The project profile looks as follows:

                                                            PHASE I             PHASE II                 TOTAL

Retail square feet                                   42,166                          0                      42,166

Residential square feet                            72,181                 94,635                     166,816

Number of Condo Units                                  61                       75                            136

Retail Parking Units                                     169*                       0                            169

Residential Parking Spaces                            89                     107                            196

*37 Surface parking Spaces

132 Subgrade parking

The Phase I building will be located directly on the corner of Cicero and Peterson.  A 40,000 sq ft Whole Foods Grocery Store will occupy the ground level.  Residential parking for this building will be located on the second floor above Whole Foods.  Whole Foods parking will be subgrade below Whole Foods.  The primary access for Whole Foods will be located 240 feet north of Peterson on Cicero.  The residential lobby will be located actually at the corner of Cicero and Peterson.

The Phase II building, which will be located just north of the Phase I building, will contain 75 condominiums.  It is an “L” shaped building.  The parking for this building will be underground and accessed by a ramp.

Between the two buildings will be 12,000 sq ft of open space.  Within this area will be 37 surface parking spaces, landscaping, and sufficient drives to accommodate both buildings, as well as emergency vehicle and commercial truck traffic.

A Whole Foods representative was on hand also to answer questions.  Whole Foods is anticipating hours of operation to be seven days a week, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.  They are hoping to break ground in the spring or summer of 2004 and estimate approximately a year’s time for construction.  If their progress is as planned, the store could open as soon as summer of 2005.

Whole Foods has been in business since 1979.  They have 149 stores nationwide.  When asked about their success rate, the representative replied that Whole Foods has never closed a store.