Glenview buys downtown property

At 10/2 village board meeting the Board of Trustees unanimously approved a plan to purchase the vacant Dominicks at the corner of Waukegan and Lake for $6,500,000. This purchase is being justified by the village because other(private) parties had expressed an interest in developing this property. The village contends that these other parties would pursue development that was not in line with their plans for the downtown area.

Since this area runs east from the library to Glenview Road then north on Waukegan to Lake Street village residents should be concerned. Why wouldn’t other landowners start similar rumors about their land so the village would step in and buy them them out ? Why is the village setting the market price for downtown land well in excess of what their consultants said it was worth?