General contractors Swedberg & Associates begin construction on a new liquor store in October, while Mayor John Swedberg denies any connection between the building contract and his support for the store’s liquor license.

Swedberg & Associates, owned by Swedberg’s brother and a partner, will construct the new Lundeen’s Discount Liquor at 1760 DeKalb Ave.

Swedberg, an estimator and project manager for the contracting firm and city liquor commissioner, stated his support for the creation of two new liquor licenses in May.

Sycamore City Clerk Candy Smith said Lundeen’s will be granted a Class D liquor license, which allows the sale of packaged liquors.

Swedberg said the decision had nothing to do with the Lundeen’s decision to hire Swedberg & Associates to build their store.

“They have chosen [Swedberg & Associates]. I am not the owner and my salary will not change one nickel because of this,” Swedberg said. “[Swedberg & Associates] would not have been in business 77 years if they were doing dirty deals.”

Smith said the city distributes one class D liquor license per every 3,000 people. Because the Sycamore population is currently about 13,000, an ordinance committee meeting in May approved a fifth Class D license before Lundeen’s was ready to build.

Lundeen’s applied for the next available license in Sycamore more than four years ago, which is why it was awarded to them, Swedberg said.

Swedberg said a new liquor store would create tax dollars without hindering the business of other liquor stores.

“I thought it was to the city of Sycamore’s advantage to [add another liquor license]. The council chose to do so. They actually created two [new licenses],” Swedberg said.

Julie Lundeen, the owner of Lundeen’s, said the new store is not a result of the recent Thirsty Liquors move to the former Around the Clock location, 1039 W. Hillcrest Drive.

“We are not moving. People keep thinking that. We’re just building another store in Sycamore,” Lundeen said.

The new location will succeed because of a long and loyal costumer base, Lundeen said.

“We had been in the DeKalb area for 18 years. Our original store was where [the new location] is going to be, but we ended up losing our lease for the building, which prompted us to move where we are now,” Lundeen said.

The immediate goal is to work on the construction of the store before the weather gets too cold, Lundeen said. No official date has been set for the new store to open.

As for the Thirsty Liquors move, Lundeen said there is no reason for her to complain about it.

“It’s a free country, you can build a business almost anywhere you want. We just have to deal with it,” Lundeen said.

Local liquor store owners opposed the creation of two new liquor licenses.

“It’s a major concern. Our area cannot support another liquor store. It’s going to destroy business,” said Louis Schoenburg, owner of County Liquors in Sycamore and American Liquors in DeKalb.