Buildings are going up at Naperville’s long-awaited Block 59 development, with three tenants — Shake Shack, Stan’s Donuts and The Cheesecake Factory — opening this spring, developers say.
After spending the summer clearing property at Route 59 and Aurora Avenue for the entertainment and dining complex, New York-based project developer Brixmor Property Group says the western half of the site is mostly complete.
“A lot has been happening” over the past few months, said Rich Dippolito, Brixmor’s vice president of redevelopment.
Block 59’s first new tenant, furniture and design store Walter E. Smithe, opened last fall, Dippolito said. Shake Shack is expected to open its doors this spring, followed by Stan’s Donuts and The Cheesecake Factory in later spring, Dippolito said.
Fast-casual breakfast and lunch spot First Watch and Italian restaurant Piccolo Buco are expected to follow suit this summer, while the fall should bring four more restaurants: Crisp & Green, Velvet Taco, Fresh Fin and Yard House, Dippolito said. Looking ahead to next year, Ruth’s Chris Steak House is expected to welcome customers in spring 2026, he said.
Block 59 is a 82,500-square-foot venture, per Brixmor’s website. When complete, the complex will not only include a slew of new restaurants but also a centralized event plaza.
Brixmor expects the plaza to open sometime later this fall, Dippolito said. That’s also when the developer plans to hold a grand opening for the complex, he added.
As of this week, Brixmor has two remaining restaurant spaces to lease and is in negotiations to fille both, Dippolito said.
Redevelopment of the site, which involved demolition of some commercial buildings, has been in the works for nearly two years. Plans were approved by the in March 2023 by the Naperville City Council, which also moved forward with Brixmor’s request to establish a Block 59 business district so tax money could be generated to fund infrastructure improvements needed for the project.
The district places an added 1% tax on sales made at businesses within its boundaries — including Block 59’s predecessor, the former Heritage Square shopping center — as well as a portion of the neighboring Westridge Court shopping center.
The state started collecting new taxes from the district in July 2023, and the city started to see receipts from those returns later that fall.
To ensure Brixmor follows through with planned work, the developer won’t receive any district tax money until at least 50,000 square feet of site and public improvements have been completed and approved by city staff, a certificate of occupancy is issued for at least one of Block 59’s new buildings and the complex’s centralized event plaza is completed and open to the public.
With project plans moving along, Dippolito said it’s been rewarding to see buildings start to take shape.
“It’s an extremely exciting project for the company,” he said. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring it to Naperville.”
