Machesney Park sells fully-occupied JCPenney building to local business owner 

8702 N. 2nd, east elevation (with the TLC Assisted Living Facility in the background).

Village officials have announced the sale of the former JCPenney Building at 8702 N. Second St. to James Michalsen Jr., of JM Commercial Properties, LLC. The fully-leased, 100,000 square foot building was sold for $995,000. 

Village Trustee Aaron Wilson said that he was happy to see a local entrepreneur assume ownership, adding, “I’m excited to see how Mr. Michalsen will use the building and improve the Town Center.” 

Village Administrator James Richter II said that the Village acquired the building in 2015 for $782,000 to help revitalize the area. Village staff worked to demise the building and lease it to five users, in addition to assembling several acres of the south parking lot for the TLC Assisted Living Facility.

The Village also used the tire and battery auto repair area of the building as its public works garage for five years, until recently moving into a new facility on Gregory Road. 

“This has been a successful redevelopment project for the Village,” said Mayor Steve Johnson. “We took a vacant building, turned it around, and have placed it back into the hands of private ownership completely occupied,” said Mayor Johnson. 

The building is occupied by: Maximum Performance (a fitness center and axe throwing facility); the corporate offices for TLC Illinois, LLC (for the assisted living facility at 508 Roosevelt Road); Menta Academy (a special education school); PCI Pharma Services; and Rodney Gustafson. 

Jim Michalsen Jr. owns Michalsen Office Furniture, which is located in Machesney Park at 8014 N. Second St. According to Village President Steve Johnson, Michalsen has also acquired the former Seventh Avenue building on the west side of the former Machesney Park Mall as a warehouse location for his office furniture business.