The new owners of the Brookside Marketplace are making plans to expand the center by adding another building and a national retailer to the growing shopping center.

Tinley Park's village board considered a variance request from the center's developer during a meeting, Aug. 7, that would allow for signage larger than the established guidelines for the center.

Officials say they can't yet disclose the name of the possible new tenant because an agreement has not been finalized, but they did say the business is a general merchandise retailer with a national presence.

DDR Corp., a retail development manager based in Ohio, purchased Brookside Marketplace at Harlem Avenue and 191st Street from the original developer, Ryan Companies US Inc., earlier this year.

The new building would be the first addition to the marketplace by DDR and the first expansion since Ryan Companies added Old Navy, Home Goods and Five Below to the center last year, said village officials.

Now under consideration is the construction of a free-standing 23,300-square-foot building that would house the still unnamed national retailer. The development would be built on the east side of the shopping center between Best Buy and a row of existing storefronts that back up to Harlem.

While the village board did approve the requested sign variations for the project on first reading, Greg Hannon, trustee and chair of the Planning and Zoning Committee, said he doesn't support the developer's request to use larger signs as presented, but he would support a smaller variance.

"I think we're going to agree to disagree, but I'd be more than happy to sit down with DDR and their people before the (next board meeting), and we'll see what they have to say," he said.

The size of the building signs used by the national retailer stand 6 feet tall, but Hannon said the development plan for buildings smaller than 25,000 square feet only allow for signs that are 3 feet tall.

"Their standard letters are 6 feet high, so they asked for a variance for 3 feet," he said.

Hannon said he would vote for a variance of 1 foot that would allow for a 4-foot-tall sign because several other businesses in the shopping center do have signs with 1-foot variances.

If the village allows a larger deviation from the guidelines for one building, then Hannon said all developers would expect it as well.

"Other developers, if and when they come in, would be looking for the same variances," he said.

DDR is also seeking a variance for taller monument signs around the shopping center to add space for the retailer's name, but Hannon said he is not in favor of having monument signs larger than what the original development plan allows.

The sign variances will be up for final approval at the next village board meeting Aug. 21.

DDR declined to comment on the new retailer because negotiations are ongoing, said spokeswoman Jennifer Daher.

"It is our policy not to comment on ongoing negotiations or potential deals that have not been fully executed," she said in an e-mail.

arueff@tribune.com