The new restaurants at Belleville Crossing will be Wendy's, Arby's, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Buffalo Wild Wings, and most should be open by the end of the year.
Also, there's a "strong lead" on a White Castle restaurant at that location, Eckert said.
There will be a Wendy's and a Hardee's opening at Green Mount Commons, near the new Wal-Mart Supercenter, by the end of the summer, Eckert said.
Also, a McDonald's is planned for the intersection of Illinois 177 and Green Mount Road and could open by the end of the year.
There is no indication that older locations of the restaurants will be closing, Eckert said.
He said the city still is pursuing sit-down restaurants for Belleville Crossing and Green Mount Commons, and he said that he'd be willing to discuss offering economic incentives to the first restaurant to step to the plate. While Buffalo Wild Wings is a sit-down establishment, he'd also like to see something that has a wider menu.
None of the restaurants has been promised any financial incentives yet, though they may still receive some.
Typically, sit-down restaurants don't choose to come in until the late stages of a development, said Scott Sachtleben, senior vice president of development for Belleville Crossing developer The DESCO Group.
Eckert said most sit-down restaurants have rejected Belleville because they want to be situated near an interstate highway. But he said that as traffic counts in the Illinois 15 corridor grow, so does interest from the restaurants.
Two new subdivisions are planned for the area across Illinois 15 from Belleville Crossing, and Eckert thinks new residents will drive traffic to the shopping centers.
Autumn Woods, a 157-lot subdivision, and Brook Taylor Estates, a 160-lot subdivision, are approved by the city for 11th Street near Frank Scott Parkway. Two other subdivisions, with a combined 400 lots, are proposed in the same area and haven't been announced, said Emily Fultz, land use planner for the city.
The city also still is pursuing a hotel for Belleville Crossing. Hampton Inn had been proposed there until the hotel backed out in October. Eckert also said a business park in the Illinois 15 corridor near the shopping center is possible.
"In spite of a sluggish economy, the citizens will see some pretty noticeable improvements," Eckert said.
Contact reporter Laura Girresch at lgirresch@bnd.com or 239-2507.
