Irving-Central car wash proposal appears to be moving forward  - Nadig Newspapers - Northwest Side Local Newspapers

by [email protected] · May 21, 2024

by BRIAN NADIG

Plans for an automatic car wash on a former car lot at the southeast corner of Irving Park Road and Central Avenue in Portage Park appear to be moving forward.

The 35,524-square-foot parcel, whose address is 5553-57 W. Irving Park Road, is located across from Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave. In 2017 a Starbucks with a drive-through facility was approved for the site, but it was never built.

“This proposed (car wash) project … received support from the Portage Park Chamber of Commerce as well as the 30th Ward Community Zoning Committee (advisory board).

“The new owner will be doing Phase 1 and possibly Phase 2 remediation. While I understand residents were hoping to see a mix-used building, due to environmental concerns there weren’t any interested developers for a mixed use,” Alderwoman Ruth Cruz (30th) said.

Over the years the lot has been used to store vehicles for several dealerships.

“The site is contaminated, and there’s zero chance of residential ever happening. Starbucks likely would have walked away when they learned that,” said 30th Ward director of policy and zoning Justin Heath said.

He added that the developer plans to exceed the minimum remediation requirements for a commercial project like a car wash and that additional environmental remediation likely would have been needed if residential units were going to be built.

In a letter to R & R Carwash Inc., Cruz wrote that her support for rezoning the property from B1-1 to C1-1 to allow a car wash is contingent on the site being remediated of “environmental toxins” to current standards, the installation of safety controls to protect pedestrian traffic on sidewalks, the construction of privacy walls where needed and the reduction of curb cuts on the parcel.

The site had been located in the 38th Ward until 2023. Alderman Nicholas Sposato (38th) had the property downzoned about two years ago.

“I don’t want something to go in there … without the say of the community,” Sposato said in 2022. He added that the downzoning would force a future buyer of the parcel to go through a public input process given the unlikelihood of the property being redeveloped under the restrictive B1-1. The property’s previous C2-1 zoning allowed for a variety of vehicle-oriented uses, including car washes.

The Portage Park Chamber of Commerce issued the following letter of support for the proposal:

“We see long vacant commercial spaces in our area as a blight on an otherwise vibrant community. It would seem prudent to embrace any credit-worthy investor or developer who wants to bring a new business to the Portage Park area.

“Improved land will be subject to much higher property taxes and will generate sales tax. It will also create some new jobs in the area which will most likely be filled by local residents.”