Lyons Village Trustee Paul Marchiori (right) voiced concerns about drivers’ safety on Ogden Avenue near a car wash that the board approved. Trustee James Veselsky is to the left. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Lyons Village Trustee Paul Marchiori (right) voiced concerns about drivers’ safety on Ogden Avenue near a car wash that the board approved. Trustee James Veselsky is to the left. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Buddy Bear Car Wash approved for Lyons

Spread the love

By Steve Metsch

If all goes as planned, in early 2023 you will be able to visit the brand-new Buddy Bear Car Wash on Ogden Avenue in Lyons.

The village board on March 15 voted 6-0 in favor of a unanimous zoning board of appeals recommendation that a special-use permit be approved for the car wash.

“This is what Ogden needs, a nice development like this,” Mayor Christopher Getty said.

Buddy Bear President and CEO Phil DeGeratto said the “beautiful addition will add a dramatic change to the strip.”

The size of the land makes possible an out lot that DeGeratto envisions for a restaurant. He’s willing to work with the village on that.

There are some concerns, as voiced by Trustee Paul Marchiori, about safety for motorists.

Marchiori is worried that turning left across two lanes of traffic to drive east could be dangerous, along with turning left into the car wash while driving east on Ogden.

A stoplight is not possible for the car wash because it would be too near the stoplight at Ogden and Lawndale, just west of the property.

While Marchiori did vote in favor and said he “loves” the concept, he is still concerned about motorists’ safety.

Getty said the Illinois Department of Transportation will “ultimately determine the ingress egress of the proposed development.”

DeGeratto noted that his car wash in Berwyn is also on Ogden Avenue. “It hasn’t been a major problem,” he said.

DeGeratto is hoping to get an easement for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County for a third entry/exit to the property. In exchange, he’s allowing the county to put a bike path behind his site.

Getty is confident everything will be worked out and the car wash will be built.

Getty credited DeGeratto for revising his plans three times. “He has accommodated all our requests and concerns,” Getty said.

“Above everything, this will be a great development for our community,” Getty said.

“This will be a great improvement to that corridor,” Getty said. “And, also, being respectful of the river, the greenspace on his own property is a positive.”

DeGeratto expects to be done than planning stage within 60 days, breaking ground in late summer and opening “early 2023.”

The car wash will cost $5 million to build, he said. DeGeratto said he is paying $1 million for the land.

There are 12 other Buddy Bear locations, with nine in Chicago.

Trustee Dan Hilker asked about excess water from the vehicles after they are washed. DeGeratto said they will recycle up to 50 percent of the water. There’s also a 100,000-gallon retention pond planned which will drain into the Desplaines River.

A heated collection area when cars leave the car wash “to ensure there will be the least about of wet space.”

The car wash will have seven employees, with two or three on duty days, and more working on weekends or busy times like we see now when people want to rinse salt off their vehicles.

Buddy Bear hopes to soon open car washes in Calumet City, Markham, Maywood and Chicago Ridge.

Village Manager Tom Sheahan called the car wash “a great asset to our community.”

The land has been owned more than 100 years by Metz family, which is “very happy” with the sale, Chris Metz said.

The site has been for sale “on and off” the past seven years, Metz, of Indian Head Park, said. The family spent about $84,000 to have block yard buildings demolished two years ago, he said.

He’s not worried about traffic concerns.

“We operated there for 100 years turning left. It worked,” Metz said. “Or you can drive (west) to Lawndale and turn around.”

The family has owned the land since 1912. It had been home to the Joseph Metz & Son brickyard.

DeGeratto thinks ground may be broken by late summer. It will provide about 100 construction jobs, he said.

3 Comments

  1. Anthony Fragale on March 21, 2022 at 6:51 pm

    That sucks , right on prime riverfront property!!! Your kidding me !! I know it’s private property but, why not some restaurants, bars etc. Give people a reason to come to Lyons !!! What waste to a great piece of property. No vision ……



  2. Joanne on March 21, 2022 at 9:36 pm

    But Lyons has A CAR WASH A MILE EAST on Ogden and Harlem and Brookfield has one a mile west on East and Ogden. 3 in 2 miles………..



  3. Steve Metsch on March 22, 2022 at 1:32 pm

    Anthony, the plans are for a restaurant of some sort possibly in the out lot.



Local News

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

College Football | Marian (Indiana) and St. Francis highlight Saint Xavier 2024 home slate

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent Saint Xavier has released its 2024 football schedule, which has the Cougars opening the season in Michigan. SXU will travel to the Detroit suburb of Southfield to play Lawrence Tech on Sept. 7 in a Mid-States Football Association crossover. The Cougars’ home opener kicks off at noon on Sept.…

Morton's Nariah Clay was named to the NCJAA Division II all-tournament team as the Panthers finished fifth in the nation. Photo courtesy of Morton College Department of Athletics

Morton College women’s hoops takes fifth in nation

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Correspondent For the second year in a row, the Morton College women’s basketball team finished fifth in the country. The Panthers closed out the 2023-24 campaign in Joplin, Missouri, with a 75-67 victory over Iowa Western on March 23 in the consolation championship game at the NJCAA Division II National…

Marist's Jack Meader (left) and Nathen Toth face each other during a block attempt against Downers Grove North in the semifinals of the Marist Invitational on March 23. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Lockport for Gold at RedHawks Invite

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist enjoys getting its season going by hosting a tournament that is now in its 20th year. They had a good time again this season, going unbeaten over five matches in two days to win the Marist RedHawks Invitational for the sixth consecutive time. The RedHawks ended the tournament…

summit police logo

2 charged in Summit junkyard burglary

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two men have been charged in connection with a break-in last month at the Pick-n-Pull used auto parts store and junkyard in Summit. George Ainalakis, 39, of Carol Stream, was arrested February 26 at the business, while Chad Wickert, 40, of Brookfield, was arrested March 13 by Hodgkins police. Police…

Priscilla Steinmetz, of Orland Park's Bridge Teen Center, has fun March 7 at Congressman Sean Casten's desk in Washington. (Bridge Teen Center photo)

Casten secures $11M for district; invites Bridge Teen founder to State of Union

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Congressman Sean Casten is bringing some big bucks home. Casten (D-6th) announced that he helped secure more than $11 million in federal funding for local community projects. Included in that bounty is: $1.28 million to Evergreen Park for water main replacement. $500,000 to La Grange for storm and sanitary sewer…

Forest View Village Clerk Laura McGuffey (left) swears in Maria Guzman as a full-time police officer while Chief Bianel Zarate looks on. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Forest View swears in new police officers

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new full-time police officer and a newly promoted corporal on the force. In front of a full-house at their February 27 Board of Trustees meeting, Clerk Laura McGuffey did the honors swearing-in Maria Guzman as a full-time officer, and promoting Officer Jorge Sanchez…

Abraham Kiswani was sentenced to two years for income tax evasion.

Burbank businessman sentenced for income tax evasion

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong A Burbank businessman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for willfully evading more than $3.7 million in federal and state income taxes. Abraham Kiswani, 54, pleaded guilty last year to a federal tax evasion charge.  In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah…

Trinity Christian College of Nursing received a grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education. (Supplied photo)

Trinity, MVCC nursing schools schools receive state grants

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The Illinois Board of Higher Education has awarded nursing school grants to 12 institutions of higher education across the state, including two in the south suburbs, totaling $1.4 million. Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills received a grant of $38,316 to focus on improved math proficiency and preparedness of…

biz runnings logo NEW

Runnings holds grand opening in Homer Glen

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The big-box store at 15830 S. Bell Road in Homer Glen has certainly had a storied past. Once upon a time, it was part of the Kmart chain. That ended years ago. Since then, it has been a Big R, a Stock + Field, and an R.P. Home and Harvest.…

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid celebrates winning the Democratic primary in the 21st House District with Safaa Zarzour (left) and wife Fidaa, who holds their 1-month-old son Mohammad Zain, at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. in Chicago Ridge. (Photos by Steve Metsch)

Rashid rolls in 21st House, but Vasquez plans rematch

Spread the love

Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid may have rolled to victory over challenger Vidal Vasquez in the 21st House District Democratic primary, but he took nothing for granted. “I am humbled and honored that the voters chose to send me back and I look forward to continuing the work ahead of us,”…

Neighbors

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

Appeals court skeptical of Mike Bost’s case to stop ballot counts after Election Day

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A panel of federal appellate judges on Thursday seemed skeptical of legal arguments made on behalf of Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, who claims Illinois’ law allowing counting of mail-in ballots for two weeks after an election is in violation of federal law. Bost’s late 2022…

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

DCFS hires on-the-spot at hiring events

By BETH HUNDSDORFER  Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com Cyrenthia Threat spent Wednesday morning at a hiring event in Fairview Heights waiting for word on whether she was hired by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.  Threat wants to move to Illinois from Georgia where she works as a social worker. She has 20 years…

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

Capitol Briefs: Advocates push for guaranteed income, child care assistance

By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case of actor Jussie Smollett, who was convicted for staging a hate crime against him in 2019 in a case that drew criticism for Cook County’s top prosecutor. Smollett made what turned out to be…

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

Illinois teacher shortage persists, survey finds

By PETER HANCOCK  Capitol News Illinois  phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com  SPRINGFIELD – Illinois continues to suffer from a shortage of teachers and other education professionals, although recent efforts by the state to ease the strain have made an impact.  That’s according to the latest annual survey of school officials from the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools,…

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

Bills in state Senate would further regulate battery storage and disposal

COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Two bills that would regulate battery disposal and storage are awaiting action from the full Illinois Senate after unanimous committee approval.   Senate Bill 3481, sponsored by Sen. Sara Feigenholtz, D-Chicago, would require facilities that store electric vehicle batteries to register with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency…

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

Prisoner Review Board chair, member resign in wake of boy’s fatal stabbing by released inmate

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The longtime chair and a relatively new member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board have resigned, Gov. JB Pritzker’s office announced Monday. The governor’s office announced the pair’s resignations within hours of each other nearly two weeks after Crosetti Brand was released from Stateville Correctional Center. Brand is…

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

Highest-ranking woman in state police history reflects on experience as force looks to diversify

By ALEX ABBEDUTO   Capitol News Illinois  abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com  The night before Rebecca Hooks started at the Illinois State Police Academy in 2002, she spoke on the phone with her father and her brother – both of whom worked in law enforcement.  Her father encouraged her, telling her she was strong and could get through the…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…