Rosemont purchased a two-story brick building that houses a Harley-Davidson dealership in the village’s entertainment district for $6 million and plans to open a restaurant in its place by 2026.
Meanwhile, plans to move the motorcycle dealership to a new building near Allstate Arena have fallen through, officials announced Monday.
Windy City Motorcycle Co. opened a two-story, 20,000-square-foot showroom at Parkway Bank Park in 2019 as the brand grew and became more profitable.
But the Milwaukee-based motorcycle maker’s headquarters said a recent decline in retail sales has forced local dealers to downsize their footprint.
Earlier this year, the Windy City and Rosemont signed a preliminary agreement for a one-story, 28,000-square-foot Harley dealership to be built on Manheim Road between the stadium and the Hyatt Place Hotel.
Windy City, run by owner Ozzie Giglio, has already closed its Palatine and Wrigleyville stores and plans to consolidate its Rosemont operations with the Villa Park store.
All bikes, clothing and accessories will be moved out of the Rosemont store by the end of the year, and Giglio’s office will move to the third floor of Rosemont’s new village hall and office building, 9501 Technology Blvd.
This two-story, 20,000 square foot Harley-Davidson dealership opened in Rosemont in 2019. However, declining sales nationwide are forcing local dealers to back out of their tracks.
Christopher Placek/cplacek@dailyherald.com
Under the purchase agreement approved by the Village Board on Monday, Rosemont will purchase the building housing the dealership from a partnership managed by Giglio and Mark Offit of Braden Real Estate. The store is scheduled to close on January 10th.
The current owners have a letter of intent to open a restaurant on the ground floor. That document will be forwarded to the village as part of the deal.
“I can’t reveal it yet, but it’s going to be pretty cool,” Mayor Brad Stevens said, adding that the restaurant’s menu and concept will be different from what’s already in the red-light district.
Interior renovations will be funded in part by the village and are expected to occur during most of 2025, ahead of the restaurant’s opening in early 2026, Stevens said.
The second floor will remain office space for the time being.
The Harley dealership is across the street from Fat Rosie’s Taco & Tequila Bar, which opened last month on the site of Park Tavern.
