The old Best Buy at 20771 N. Rand Road now holds a three-level jungle gym that the Daily Herald describes as tall enough for adults. The building also has trampolines, foam pits, a tricycle track, four glow-in-the-dark party rooms, and a cafe that serves pizza, wings, milkshakes, funnel fries and espresso drinks. Lava Island opened its first Illinois location there in February, filling 30,000 square feet of the Quentin Collection.
Farther south, the old Art Van furniture space in Kildeer Village Square is now a 14-court indoor pickleball club. Both buildings once sold goods off the shelf. Today both sell admission, and the Village of Kildeer has a tax for that.
The Store That Carried the Village Budget
According to the Daily Herald's November 2025 reporting, Best Buy had been Kildeer's top sales tax producer until it closed in early 2024. A furniture store used the space for a while but didn't bring in the same revenue. Village officials considered putting a question on the ballot to raise the local sales tax rate by 0.5%, to 8%, but didn't follow through.
The village enacted an amusement tax instead. Chief Village Officer Michael Talbett told the Daily Herald it applies to ticket sales at Lava Island and at The Picklr. So the two biggest openings on Kildeer's stretch of Route 12 this year sit in two former big-box buildings, and both now help fund Village Hall each time someone pays to get in.
This explains why the strip looks the way it does in October 2026. The buildings that matter most to the village budget are no longer stores you pass through in ten minutes. They are places where a birthday party or a doubles match lasts an afternoon.
What Moved Into Which Building
| Address and center | Former tenant | Current or planned use | Status as of Oct. 10, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20771 N. Rand Rd., Quentin Collection | Best Buy, then a furniture store | Lava Island indoor play park | Open; official ribbon-cutting March 14 |
| Quentin Collection | The Fresh Market, 21,000 sq. ft. | Wu's House, Asian restaurant | Open |
| 20393 N. Rand Rd., Kildeer Village Square | Art Van furniture | The Picklr, 14 indoor pickleball courts | Open; official ribbon-cutting March 11 |
| 20505 N. Rand Rd., Suite 120, Shops at Kildeer | Gianni's Cafe | Oasi Kitchen + Bar, Greek | Permit approved June 16; September opening targeted, not confirmed |
| Quentin Collection, next to Taco Guaniquito | Not specified | Turkish coffee, tea and pastry shop | Announced; no date given |
The Gianni's closure was reported in November 2025, and the owners shifted their focus to the restaurant's Palatine location.
The Quentin Collection Gets Its Second Act
Kildeer's mayor, Nandia P. Black, gave the village's update at the 2026 Economic Summit in Barrington. The Village's March 16 e-news summarized her report:
"The two new developments, Wu's House and Lava Island will help revitalize that shopping center."
The same report counted 97 businesses in the village, including 19 restaurants, and named Wu's House as the newest restaurant. Wu's House took the former Fresh Market, a 21,000-square-foot grocery box. The Daily Herald noted that the chain already had six south suburban locations, including Naperville, before it came to Kildeer.
Sources give two different start dates for Lava Island. The Daily Herald reported a grand opening event from 4 to 9 p.m. on a Thursday in February, with regular hours starting at 9 a.m. the next day. Based on the article's February 17 posting date, that puts public operations at about February 19 and 20. The village counts Saturday, March 14, when Mayor Black cut a blue ribbon to "officially open" the play park. Both dates are accurate, and families were playing there for about three weeks before the ceremony.
Lava Island serves families with children from infants to age 12 and calls itself a "screen free" environment. A company representative told the Daily Herald in 2025 that Kildeer fit its search for places "where families can easily gather, play and enjoy safe indoor fun all year round." As the weather gets colder, year-round indoor play is what the building now offers.
Smaller tenants are following. A Patch calendar notice posted by the business advertised Lemah Creek Naturals, a CBD shop for people, dogs, cats and horses, as "NOW OPEN" at the same 20771 N. Rand Road address, with an event on Saturday, September 26. The Turkish coffee, tea and pastry shop that the mayor mentioned for the space next to Taco Guaniquito does not have a public opening date yet.
Kildeer Village Square, Down Near Lake-Cook
The second ticketed venue is farther south, in Kildeer Village Square at Route 12 and Plum Grove Road, just north of Lake-Cook Road. On Wednesday, March 11, Mayor Black and the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce cut a red ribbon to officially open The Picklr.
The Picklr's Kildeer location lists 14 courts at 20393 N. Rand Road. It is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day, and it takes court bookings and memberships. That 17-hour window covers a pre-work game, a lunch match and a late doubles session, and all three are ticketed visits under the village's amusement tax.
The address has seen recent turnover. Patch reported in October 2025 that The Brunch Cafe at 20393 North Rand Road had closed, citing an October 5 Facebook post from the chain. The Daily Herald describes The Picklr's building as the former Art Van furniture space.
Restaurants Fill the Spaces Between
With the large boxes filled by Lava Island and The Picklr, change at the restaurant level is now about individual storefronts. The clearest example is in the Shops at Kildeer.
At its June 16 meeting, the Village Board approved a special-use permit for Geuler LLC, doing business as Óasi Kitchen, at 20505 N. Rand Road, Suite 120. The Village's June 17 e-news welcomed Oasi as a new Greek restaurant with a menu of "popular dishes for fast-fine dining" and said it was planning to open in September. As of October 10, no village update or news report confirms that it has opened. The restaurant's own website currently shows a "Taste the Oasis Experience" heading and a contact form, with no posted hours or menu.
The Oasi space shows the other half of the pattern. A restaurant still needs village approval before it can move into an existing storefront, and the timeline depends on the operator.
October 24, Also on Rand Road
The next date on the village calendar is also on Rand Road. On Saturday, October 24, the Kildeer Police Department's Trunk or Treat runs from noon to 2 p.m. at Concorde Banquet Hall, 20922 N. Rand Road. Ela Township's Health & Wellness Department is joining the event. According to the Ela Township event listing, children in costume go from car to car collecting treats from decorated trunks. The Village also included a "Trunk or Treat - Be Part of the Fun" save-the-date in its August 28 e-news.
The event ends at 2 p.m., while the indoor play park and pickleball courts up the road stay open through the afternoon.
Kildeer's Rand Road businesses tell you a lot about the village behind them. Morrison Home Team follows those changes along with the homes nearby. If you're curious how this activity on Route 12 relates to your Kildeer home's value this fall, request your free home valuation and we'll go through it with you.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.