Big Delay For New Clarendon Hills Coffee Shop

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – A village-subsidized coffee shop in downtown Clarendon Hills was supposed to be done by Halloween.

But the owner of Sparrow Coffee is seeking a six-month delay to open.

Owner Chris Chacko is working to combine three previous units into one at 100 Park Ave. But he said he has encountered hurdles.

Last October, he reached an agreement with the village for a $622,000 subsidy.

In an email last week to the village, Chacko said the three separate buildings were put together in a "haphazard and unorthodox fashion."

He said Sparrow wanted to avoid the architectural impact of adding dozens of wooden trusses to secure the roof. So the business asked architect Michael Abraham to use structural steel to achieve a better look.

"The resulting design is impressive and will be a statement within downtown Clarendon Hills," Chacko said.

But he said sourcing steel is a challenge.

"Finding a company to install the steel was an even bigger challenge as several firms did not want to undertake the complexity of installing steel in a space where the roof could collapse," Chacko said. "Steel installation has taken over a month."

Only a few things can be done for the project until the steel is installed, he said.

The shop's best estimate for opening is April 30.

In a memo this week, Ed Cage, the village's community development director, said the project is moving more quickly than before. He said the shop would benefit downtown.

On Monday, the Village Board plans to vote on extending Sparrow's deadline by six months.

The subsidy is coming from a tax increment financing district, or TIF, where growth in property tax income is reinvested in the district.