On one of the few sizeable tracts of land left in Naperville, The Harp Group and W. Krug, Inc. are building a 25-acre retail and restaurant development next to the soon-to-be completed Freedom Boulevard interchange on I-88 west of Naperville Road.

Bill Krug said Freedom Commons is located on a unique infill site (so named because there is development around the location) and will become a “north gateway to Naperville.”

That gateway will be created because the short half mile stretch of Freedom Boulevard will connect Diehl and Warrenville roads.

“Freedom Commons on the south side of the Tollway is smack dab in the middle of everything and will be an anchor for offices and hotels in the area,” Krug said. “It is near a Holiday Inn which is expected to have a name change, a Marriott Courtyard and a Fairfield Inn.

“On the other side of the Tollway are several million square-feet of office space along Warrenville Road, including the Lucent buildings. Along Diehl there are office developments including some office condominiums.”

More than 25 percent of the project’s total 42,000 square-feet of retail space has been pre-leased and another 25 percent is in leasing negotiations, he said.

Occupancy will begin in November for the project’s four retail buildings. Stores will include Subway, Taco Fresco, a deli and a bagel/coffee shop. There will also be a hair salon, a cell phone store and a convenience food store.

Meanwhile, an LA. Fitness health club, Fidelity Funds and four restaurants—Maggiano’s Little Italy, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Champs American, and the White Chocolate Grill—are building free-standing locations at Freedom Commons. The entire site includes 152,000 square-feet of building area and will contain 1,180 parking spaces.

“Freedom Commons represents a rare opportunity to tap into an area that has been repeatedly ranked by Money magazine and other sources as one of the best places to live,” Krug pointed out.

“When the Freedom interchange is completed later this year, it will allow direct access, not only for residents of Naperville and nearby communities, but also for thousands of people who work in the area, as well as guests of the numerous hotels in the vicinity. To obtain 25 acres in the I-88 corridor, a developer usually would have to go many miles west of Naperville.”

Krug, who is based in Lemont, has nearly 30 years of real estate leasing, investment and development experience. He is in a joint venture with The Harp Group, a real estate investment and development company that specializes in high-end hospitality destinations.

Oakbrook Terrace-based Harp is one of four firms comprising The Cresendo Companies, a privately-held umbrella holding company with businesses specializing in commercial real estate development and management. It was formed in March of this year.

Mike Skarr, president and CEO of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce, noted that “part of the key to success for the new development will be geography.”

He said the north corridor has a history of being underserved but with the reconfiguration of the Tollway it has become a key area.

“Freedom Commons will be one more venue to bring more people to eat and shop in Naperville,” said Skarr. “Many people will take advantage of the new restaurants and stores. They usually do not go to the same places all the time. Variety is very important. Diversity is a key.”

The Chamber of Commerce executive said there are other development proposals but Naperville is running out of prime land, although there are a few parcels left.

“As we approach the end of the supply of prime land, there will be more proposals to redevelop land,” Skarr said. “I can not discuss specific development proposals at this point because they are in the planning and discussion stages.”

Skarr pointed specifically to the city’s downtown, where he said there is about 100,000 square-feet of retail and office development planned for the next three years.

“We are giving customers a lot of variety in different locations,” he said.

A city official said Naperville is fortunate to have experienced significant commercial and office growth over the past year with developments such as Freedom Commons, Springbrook Commons, Design Pointe and Naperville Crossings.

Allison Laff, planning team leader for the city, added that Naperville will continue to experience similar growth in the upcoming year with projects such as Springbrook Prairie Pavilion and River Run Centre.

“At this point, Freedom Commons is a unique retail site located within the Tollway Corridor,” said Laff. “Given its adjacency to a future I-88 interchange and potential to draw regional customers, as well as its fulfillment of the retail, service and restaurant needs of the local employees, it was deemed an appropriate site for commercial use.”

Laff explained that the city’s comprehensive plan originally designated the Freedom Commons property for industrial/office use, but that the plan was adopted prior to the decision about the Freedom interchange on I-88.

Therefore, she said, the Naperville staff, the Plan Commission and the City Council determined that a retail use would be appropriate for the Freedom Commons site.

Properties surrounding Freedom Commons continue to be largely designated for industrial/office uses, Laff indicated.

“However, the city will evaluate any future proposals on their merit and in the context of the larger Tollway corridor and city when submitted.”