Batavia Menards plans major expansion

BATAVIA – The Menards store in Batavia is planning a major expansion project including an addition to the garden center and a new accessory structure for building materials.

The home improvement giant at 300 N. Randall Road also would construct shipping and receiving additions at the back of its existing building.

The mammoth store occupies a 13-acre tract on the east side of Randall between McKee Street on the south and Mill Street to the north, linked by a curving service road running along the west side of the retailer’s 390-space parking lot.

Plans filed with the city of Batavia’s Community Development Department show a 3,239-square-foot addition to the garden center on the south side of the existing building and a 20,056-square-foot accessory structure at the southeast corner of the property.

The linear structure would extend along the east property line all the way to McKee Street behind the Steak ’n Shake restaurant to the west.

As a result, the existing stormwater detention pond would be relocated to a 1.4-acre parcel on the other side of McKee, immediately to the east of the Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant that is currently under construction.

Batavia city staff planner Drew Rackow said the new detention pond would have to be created before work could begin on the accessory building, which will be used for storing lumber and other building materials.

The Batavia Plan Commission will consider the Menards expansion proposal during a public hearing at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at Batavia City Hall, 100 Island Ave.

Included in the commission’s review, Rackow said, will be the proposed elimination of 24 parking spaces near the garden center along the service road.

Along with the garden center addition would be an expansion of the outdoor area for bulk lawn and garden supplies, Rackow said.

A 6,392-square-foot shipping area is to be added to the northeast corner of the existing building, according to the plans Menards has filed with the city. Behind the building along the east side, the special-order pickup area would be expanded with a 2,880-square-foot addition, along with a 1,020-square-foot receiving area addition, the plans show.

Based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Menards is the third-largest home improvement chain in the nation, with 350 stores in 14 Midwestern states.

The construction of the Raising Cane’s restaurant at the southeast corner of Randall and McKee is taking place on the former Avenue Motors automobile dealership property.

The access road from McKee onto the property will line up with the service road running between the Steak ’n Shake restaurant and the Pride of Batavia BP gasoline station, leading north to the Menards parking lot.

The new stormwater detention pond will be on the east side of the new access road along the south side of McKee, where the city has posted a large sign notifying the public of the plan commission hearing.

The Raising Cane’s, expected to open early next year, is occupying the most prominent portion of the old Avenue Motors property, but owner Kensington Development Partners of Oak Brook is working to attract additional businesses. The development firm hopes to bring in a major anchor tenant for the 5.2 acres to the south of the restaurant.

When that happens, the access road will be extended south to connect with the existing shopping center anchored by Ace Hardware and Apple Villa Famous Pancakes, creating a new link between McKee and West Wilson streets.