Wanted: Developer, occupant for 2 major downtown Woodstock sites

The city of Woodstock is seeking developers for the Die Cast site downtown and a new tenant to fill the former MobCraft space inside the Old Courthouse.

Woodstock wants “visionary partners for the redevelopment of the 9-acre Die Cast site, a former industrial property positioned for transformation into a dynamic mixed-use district. Located just steps from the historic Woodstock Square and adjacent to the Woodstock Metra station, this site offers an unparalleled opportunity for commercial, residential, and public space development,” according to a news release from the city issued Friday.

The city has issued a “Request for Expressions of Interest” for the Die Cast site, according to the release.

“The Die Cast site is one of the most significant redevelopment opportunities in the northern Chicago suburbs,” Jessica Erickson, the city’s economic development director, said in the release. “We are looking for partners who see the potential to create something transformative that complements our thriving downtown.”

Woodstock last year approved a contract with Chicago Hubs Realty for a project that would bring senior housing and, ultimately, a parking garage for commuters using the Metra station to the former industrial property downtown.

Last fall, the company informed the city it was not feasible to move ahead with phase one of the project. According to the city, the company said the state withdrew affordable housing credits. However, an Illinois Housing Development Authority spokesperson said they couldn’t find an application for a low-income housing tax credit from the company.

The City Council in November voted to end the contract with Chicago Hubs Realty, who also had sought millions of dollars in tax increment financing district funding for the project.

The city also said it was looking for proposals from people interested in generating “creative and community-oriented uses” inside the sheriff’s house at the Old Courthouse, which was home to MobCraft Beer before the company closed its doors at the end of November.

The city said in the release the MobCraft space was ideal for a restaurant, brewery, entertainment venue or other creative uses “looking for a distinctive presence in one of the region’s most iconic landmarks.”

Since the Old Courthouse reopened after renovations in 2023, several businesses have closed their doors. Public House abruptly closed in March 2024 and Algonquin-based DIY store Makity Make closed its doors in Woodstock last spring. Woodstock approved a settlement with the Public House proprietors over the summer, and Squire on the Square opened in November.

Two businesses in the incubator program graduated since starting in the Old Courthouse. The Records Department moved to a larger space downtown over the summer, and Seleta Scents graduated to a permanent storefront in Arlington Heights.

MobCraft closed right after Thanksgiving, and quickly after the closure the City Council approved a settlement with them. Naturally McHenry County also is relocating to the Old Courthouse; their space in Huntley will be home to the village’s business incubators.

Woodstock-based TurnKey Digital is opening a photo studio in the former Seleta Scents space. The company has long been based in town and its headquarters at 112½ N. Benton St. is on the other side of the Square.

The city’s feelers for the Old Courthouse and Die Cast spaces come days after the council voted to commission a new downtown study that will be completed in early 2026. Its price tag is almost $155,000.