Menards Gives Hadley Update in Richmond Heights

A Menards representative on Tuesday updated the on the status of their hardware store planned in Hadley Township.

"We finally have made offers," said Peter Sheehan, who represents the company. "We started making offers about 10 days ago."

In all, Menards is working to get contracts on 84 parcels of land in Hadley. The company is just north of the Walmart in Maplewood Commons.

The company is between six weeks and two months behind the schedule it planned, Sheehan said. He said that the process has been a little more daunting than anticipated and that the company is in the process of opening several other stores in the St. Louis area.

Sixteen Hadley Township homeowners have been contacted so far, Sheehan said. He expects to deliver an additional 24 contracts on parcels Tuesday, which will get the company to about 50 percent of the offers out on the Menards section of the development. He hopes to deliver the remaining contracts by late this week or next week.

Representatives with the company have met with residents on a couple of occasions at The Heights. They also will be meeting with residents at an office on Hanley Road along with Pace officials.

In mid-July, the that Menards and Pace Properties, which is planning a neighboring retail development, hadn't made enough progress to merit an update.

to answer questions about the developments.

Earlier in the meeting, two Hadley residents addressed the council about issues such as eminent domain and development.

In response to comments by JoAnn Bailey, who read a letter from the libertarian think thank Institute for Justice, Beck said he rejects the notion that the city is engaged in eminent-domain abuse "because it's not."

He also addressed Jonathan Parker, a who referenced a letter Beck sent to residents earlier this year.

"I think absolutely developers are still going to be trying to do things in that area, but it won't be the city trying to attract that," said Beck, referring to what might happen in the event that the Pace and Menards developments don't happen as planned.

More about Hadley Township development on Patch:

• Hadley Township development archive