Politics & Government
'Very Exciting Time' for Romeoville: Mayor
Board approves Uptown Square retail center; Nike basketball tourney heading to town.
The indoor soccer field at the new Romeoville Athletic and Events Center are already open, but a new purchase will allow for even bigger sporting events. The center is located at 55 Phelps Ave. in the new village downtown area.
On Wednesday, the village board approved a $463,000 contract with Connor Sports Flooring to purchase interlocking flooring for removable basketball and volleyball, according to Mayor John Noak.
The six QuickLock basketball courts will mean a total of eight courts. Beneath the removable flooring is artificial turf that can be used for soccer and other events.
The new flooring will be put to good use in April, Noak said, when Nike brings a major youth basketball tournament to town — meaning sales revenues for area restaurants and hotels.
"It's 370 teams," Noak said, adding the tourney will create the need for an estimated 1,500 hotel rooms. "It'll fill even more hotel rooms than we have."
The 70,000-square-foot facility will offer indoor soccer fields, IHSA basketball courts/volleyball courts and multipurpose rooms, and is expected to be fully occupied by March.
Retail center
Also on Wednesday, the board approved a new, 9,000-square-foot retail Center for the adjacent Uptown Square development.
Developer HB Uptown will build the retail center at Alexander and Route 53.
Earlier this year, the board approved two businesses for the center: Fraconi's Grocery and a relocated Fat Ricky's restaurant. Fat Ricky's has plans to relocate from its current nearby space on Phelps Avenue.
"It really is a very, very exciting time,"Noak said. "This is another piece of the project that will help transform the once blighted center into a new vibrant commercial and special event area that the residents and visitors can enjoy."
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