Demolition begins at Richmond’s long-vacant former steakhouse seized, sold by village

Developer says work will make way for a Culver’s, more retail and storage

Crews started demolition work Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, on the building that used to house Andre's Steakhouse and Magnolias of Richmond along Route 12 in Richmond.

Demolition work on a former Richmond steakhouse and banquet hall that has been unused for years, a process that will make way for a Culver’s, a storage business and another retail space on the property, said the McHenry County businessman who bought it this year.

The commencement of the teardown marks an achievement for the village government, Village President Toni Wardanian said, as the building at 11106 N. Route 12 became decrepit going unoccupied for years until local officials took control of it through a lien for unkempt weeds.

David Jones, the former owner of the property, which includes about 7 acres, lost the parcel to the village for the lien of $2,036 after he had paid $650,000 to buy it in 2003, the Northwest Herald previously reported.

Jones was unsuccessful in county and federal courts at contesting the turnover of the property to the village because of the lien, according to the Northwest Herald and Village Trustee Craig Kunz, who was the village president at the time.

Earlier this year, the village issued a request for bids to buy the property. It included conditions the buyer must meet, including that the structure be torn down, asbestos on the property abated and a road to the a water tower adjacent to the property installed.

Jack Pease, whose company Super Aggregates owns gravel pits in McHenry County, won the bidding process by agreeing to pay $175,000 to the village and perform the necessary work, Wardanian said.

But Tom Jiaris, a Richmond businessman who owns the International House of Wine and Cheese just north of the former steakhouse, took issue with the results of the bidding process, after his attempt to buy the property was not accepted by the village.

While Pease’s bid included bringing in a Culver’s restaurant, the contract struck with the village after the bid was accepted allows the property to be occupied by an “equivalent” tenant to the Culver’s brand.

“The Village Board accepted that, surprisingly,” said Jiaris, who questioned why Pease has been displaying a “For Sale” sign on the property this summer after acquiring it from the village.

Jiaris said his bid included Popeye’s chicken restaurant’s letter of intent to start a location on the property, once the old building was removed, and a personal storage facility along with another retail space, similar to Pease’s vision.

“The current owner does have a sign out there,” Wardanian said last month. “He claims he is still developing it. Nothing was set in stone as to actual businesses opening. I think his plan is to have the sign and hopefully get the businesses in there he wants.”

She added the village wrestled with the language that would allow an “equivalent” user to Culver’s move in, but ultimately approved.

“We went back and forth with ‘equivalent’ but at the end of the day, the existing building will be torn down,” Wardanian said.

She added the village did not reconsider moving away from Pease’s bid over the language because it was already “so far into the process” and because the village preferred Pease’s timeline for demolition.

Jiaris said he committed to the demolition occurring within six months.

“Either bid was totally acceptable at the end of the day,” Wardanian said, later adding she was “thrilled” with Thursday’s start of the bulldozing.

Pease intends on bringing in a Culver’s, he said in an interview, despite Jiaris’ concerns with the “For Sale” sign that has been displayed after the recent transaction from the village.

The sign still was visible Thursday.

Pease said he envisions erecting two retail storefronts, with the fast-food chain occupying one and “more than likely” another restaurant using the other. A storage facility for items like boats and recreational vehicles would be stationed at the rear of the parcel, he said.

He said he thinks the fast food use would be successful and add to the options on the frequently traveled highway spanning the Illinois-Wisconsin border at Richmond’s northern edge.

“All that traffic that goes up and down to and from Wisconsin, you see how busy McDonald’s is. And even Dog and Suds is busy on the weekends,” Pease said.

Planning and engineering for the redevelopment that could bring business activity to the parcel for the first time since the mid-2000s may take about a year, Pease said.

“I’m relentlessly going to get the tenants I want. I want a boat storage, and I want a Culver’s franchisee,” Pease said.