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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/01/2001 EDC minutes MINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION 2nd Floor Conference Room, Village Hall Thursday, February 1, 2001 8:00 a.m. The meeting of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of the Village of Mount Prospect was held on Thursday, February 1, 2001 in the second floor conference room of Village Hall, 100 South Emerson Street, Mount Prospect, Illinois. CALL TO ORDER Chairman Norm Kurtz called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. Commissioners John Arndt, Pat Biedar, Ke/:in Davies, David Lindgren, and Ben Trapan/were present. Commassioner Bruce Gillilan was absent. Also present were Mayor Gerald L. Farley, William J. Cooney, Director of Community Development, Michael Blue, Deputy Director of Community Development and Madeleine Franklin, Executive Director of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the October 5, 2000 meefmg were reviewed and approved unanimously. OLD BUSINESS Status Update Mr. Cooney provided a general update on the economic activity throughout the Village. He indicated that Kevin Davies would provide information related to the recent announcements of the Montgomery Wards and J. C. Penney closings at Randhurst. He stated that, in other news, the AutoBam Vo!kswagen dealership was demolishing their existing showroom and constructing a brand new facility. He stated that the Metro Credit Un/on was before the Village Board for approval of a 7,000 square foot financial institution. He stated that CVS Pharmacy had been open since late November and was d(mg very' well at the southwest comer of Rand and Rte. 83. In addition, Mr. Cooney indicated that, with the spring weather on its way, the next phase of downtown redevelopment was soon to begin. He indicated that the Lofts and Shops at Village Centre would begin in March and be ready for occupancy by fall of this year. Many of the EDC members questioned the status of the former Dorretti's Shopping Center. Chairman Kurtz indicated concern with its current conditions and stated it has been an eyesore in the Village for over five years. The Commission requested that Chairman Kurtz draft a letter to the Village Board indicating the EDC's concern and offering their encouragement to the Board to pursue redevelopment of that site. The Commision also expressed concern with the condition of the Village owned vacant properties on Northwest Highway just west of Rte. 83. They requested that the Village cleanthe windows and upgrade the storefi'onts ofthoseproperties. NEW BUSINESS Discussion of Randhurst Kevin Davies stated he was sure that everyone in the room was aware of the fact that Montgomery Wards and J, C. Penney would be closing in the very near future. He stated that Montgomery Wards would be closing in March and that J. C. Penney would be closing by the end of May. He stated that, at this fame, Rouse was evaluating the various options to pursue to revitalize the center. He stated there are not many healthy big-box retailers that are realistic tenants for the soon to be vacant spaces. He stated that Rouse will investigate those conomic Development Commission February 1, 2001 Minutes Page 2 tenants as well as other avenues including internally subdividing the space and/or demolishing and rebuilding portions of the center. The ConmUssion members questioned the direction that Randhurst was taking and encouraged Mr. Davies to pursue higher-end tenants for the center overall. In addition, there were concerns raised regarding the external appearance of the center and how that would impact recruiting new retail establishments. Mr. Davies indicated he was aware of many of those concerns and that he and the Village officials have been in discussions regarding the appearance of the center for many years now. He stated he hoped to have more information by the next EDC meeting regarding the two vacancies. Proposed Restaurant Rating Program Mr. Cooney indicated that the Village Board had requested Staff to investigate the possibility of posting restaurant grades in Mount Prospect. He stated that on the West Coast, specifically in the Los Angeles area, this had been a very popular program. He stated that the Village of Palatine has begun a program this year that mirrors the program in Los Angeles and the Village Board is considering instituting such a program in Mount Prospect. There was general discussion amongst the EDC members regarding the pros and cons of instituting such a program. Most of the EDC members stated they had concerns with the concept and felt that this was an unnecessary program to initiate and that it could negatively impact local business in Mount Prospect. Mr, Cooney stated that Staffwould be imfiating a meeting with local restaurateurs to garner their input and that he believed that this issue would come before the Village Board sometime this spring or early summer. Chamber of Commerce Mardi Gras Event Mr. Cooney indicated that the Chamber of Comm~ce was hosting their annual marketing event at the Randhurst Shopping Center of March 10 and 11. He stated that if any ofthe EDC members were interested in staffmgthe booth during that weekend that it would be appreciated by Staff. He stated that if any members were interested they could contact him directly to arrange for a timeslot. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Mayor Farley indicated that he and Madeleine Franklin would soon be initiating site visits with downtown merchants to determine their viewp(mts on the downtown redevelopment efforts. Chairman Kurtz asked that the Mayor provide feedback on those visits so that the EDC could take appropriate action. Chairman Kurtz indicated the next EDC meeting would take place on April 5. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 9:20 a.m. Respectfully submitted, William J., Cooney, Jr., AICP Director of Community Development