Visions for Vacancies: The Former Walmart Building

Restaurants, a bait and tackle shop, a park...lakeview condominiums?

What would you, the residents of Crystal Lake, like to see built, developed, or re-developed on the site of the former Walmart building located in the Crystal Court Shopping Center on Route 14?

The building buffers the land between Route 14 and Three Oaks Recreation Center. Walmart moved from the site in October 2007 when it opened its new, 205,000-square-foot at 1205 S. Route 31 in Crystal Lake.

Nearby, the businesses of Party City, Big Lots, Game Stop, Coloniel Cafe and more stand and wait for some type of new development to lure more visitors to the center.

Currently, the approximately 91,124-square-foot former Walmart building at Crystal Court sits empty as does the adjacent 64,000-square-foot space once home to Cub Foods and, eventually, Garden Fresh Market.

The parking lot is crumbling and filled with sizeable potholes. Weeds peak through the asphalt and sidewalks. Trees have grown, and overgrown. Right now, the space is crying out for something new.

JC Penney owns the building, and had planned to open a department store in the space, said James Richter II, assistant director of economic development for Crystal Lake.

"JC Penney was looking at locating there until the market turned, and then they had to make changes," Richter said. "Right now, Crystal Court is one of the city's highest priorities in terms of redevelopment."

Richter said city building and economic planners have explored many options for the site. In fact, in 2009 drafted conceptual plans for the space. Visit Crystal Lake-Cary Patch on Tuesday to read more about those plans.

But, in the meantime, Patch wants to know what residents envision for Crystal Court. Please post YOUR ideas in the comments section below.