Fox River Grove's Empty Downtown Block Is Finally Getting Built. Here's What's Already Open Around It

The grassy lot on Route 14 between Lincoln Avenue and Illinois Street has been empty since 2024, when the village demolished the older buildings facing the highway. In September 2026 the village issued construction permits for Fox River Landing, and officials said work would begin "immediately." The plan is a five-story building with 97 apartments and about 6,000 square feet of commercial space.

The blocks around it already have a breakfast counter at the train, a gallery across from the library, a bowling alley, a guitar shop and a tap house open past midnight. By the village's own description, the new building's job is to add neighbors for those businesses.

How the Lot Got Here

The village calls the site "Block B." It covers the downtown parcels between Illinois Street and Lincoln Avenue, running from Northwest Highway back to Opatrny Drive, but not the Municipal Center. Getting a project approved took a long time:

• October 2022: The village hired a commercial real estate broker to market the block. Over the years it signed memoranda of understanding with two developers, and neither deal went through.
• 2024: The older buildings facing Route 14 came down, leaving the grass lot.
• February 2025: The village chose Harlem Irving Companies, Hamilton Partners and Zeller to develop the site.
• February 2026: A downtown tax-increment financing district was set up to encourage redevelopment.
• April 8 and April 21, 2026: The Planning and Zoning Commission held its public hearing, and then the Village Board discussed the commission's recommendation.
• May 5, 2026: The Village Board approved the rezoning and planned-unit-development special use.
• September 2026: Permits were issued. Construction is expected to take about 18 months, with occupancy targeted for early 2028.

Village Administrator Derek Soderholm told the Northwest Herald that the village had been looking for a development on the property for more than 10 years. If you'd like to go through the application, traffic analysis and final ordinance yourself, the village posts them on its Block B page.

What the Village Says the Building Is For

The Northwest Herald quoted the village's news release, where Village President Marc McLaughlin explained the project this way:

"This project will bring approximately 6,000 square feet of new, modern commercial space to our downtown while also adding more Fox River Grove residents within the downtown area to help support our local businesses."

The quote does two jobs. It adds new storefront space, and it puts 97 households within walking distance of the storefronts already there. So the useful thing to know is what's already on these blocks.

Mornings Start at the Metra Station

The Union Pacific Northwest Line already brings people downtown every weekday morning. The village runs two commuter lots, one on each side of Lincoln Avenue, with 279 spaces and a $2 daily fee. The parking page isn't dated, so check the rate with the village before relying on it.

Bruneau sits right at the station, 365 Northwest Hwy, and opens early. Its website lists weekday hours of 6 to 11 a.m. and mentions free parking on Northwest Highway. The village's business directory still shows an older address, 401.5 Northwest Hwy, so go by the restaurant's own site.

Fox River Landing will go up within sight of that platform. The project is designed to put housing right beside the train.

Lincoln Avenue, Block by Block

Lincoln Avenue forms one edge of Block B, and it already has a mix of businesses. The village directory lists these on the street, with All Ways confirmed by recent news coverage:

The directory isn't dated, so treat it as a starting list and call ahead before making a special trip.

All Ways is the newest name on the street. Pat Marek's contemporary art gallery held its grand opening on Jan. 9, 2026, across from the public library, the Northwest Herald reported. The owner told the paper she plans rotating exhibitions and hopes to host community events. The gallery opened eight months before Block B's permits were issued, and the 18-month build that followed is set to run into 2028.

Evenings on Northwest Highway

Lord of Beers, 726 Northwest Hwy, keeps the latest hours of anything near the block. Its website lists a 9 a.m. daily opening and closing times of midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, with both food and drink menus. The Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce describes it as a tap house with a full bar and kitchen.

The timing ties back to Block B. In February 2025 the Northwest Herald covered the tap house as an upcoming business in the same story that said the village was working to lock down a developer for Block B. The tap house was already planned before anyone knew what the block would become.

Farther east on the highway, Pieceful Gathering Quilt Shop at 106 Northwest Hwy runs quilting classes and clubs, and the village directory lists The Dead End Bar & Grill at 98 Northwest Hwy.

The Route 22 Side Keeps Adding Names, Too

Fox River Grove's other commercial strip is on Route 22, and it's had its own opening this year. Needle Drop Record Shop and More opened Saturday, July 11, at 904 Route 22 in the Stonehill Shopping Center, the Northwest Herald reported. Owner Larry "LT" Turzynski, a Fox River Grove resident, stocks new and used vinyl he collected over the years, along with jewelry, hats, shirts, collectibles, action figures and trading cards.

The village directory also lists La Pizza Via at 914 Route 22 and Brunch Cafe at 931 Route 22. Two openings in one year, a gallery in January and a record shop in July, both came before a single shovel went into Block B.

What Nobody Can Tell You Yet

Some details are still open:

1. The commercial tenants. No businesses have been named for the roughly 6,000 square feet of storefront space.
2. The groundbreaking date. The village said a ceremony with officials and the developer would be planned "in the near future."
3. Lions Park. The village's plan includes new tennis and pickleball courts, a half-basketball court, a replacement pavilion and playground, added parking, a new shelter, field work and trails, all set for construction in 2026. None of the village pages we found says whether that work has started.

The Fall Calendar Around Downtown

Norge Ski Club already held its 41st annual autumn tournament, Jumptoberfest, on Oct. 3 and 4 at 100 Ski Hill Road. Here's what's still ahead on the village calendar:

• Fall Fun, Saturday, Oct. 17: Algonquin Road School, starting at 2 p.m.
• Halloween Trick-or-Treating, Saturday, Oct. 31: The village calendar shows a 3:30 p.m. start.
• Tree Lighting, Friday, Dec. 4.

By the tree lighting, Fox River Landing should be about three months into its 18-month build, with breakfast at Bruneau, bowling on Lincoln Avenue and late nights at Lord of Beers going on around it.

If you own near downtown Fox River Grove and want to talk through what 97 new households and a stretch of new storefronts could mean for your own plans, Sandra Maldonado is happy to look at it with you, in English or Spanish. Let's Connect.