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Lombard and TIF

(31 posts)
  • Started 5 years ago by Catherine
  • Latest reply from ChrisHajer
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  1. Catherine
    Member

    Last weekend I saw 190North, that Channel 7 show that covers culture, entertainment, food and what not. Their visit was to the western (or near western suburbs), and who do you think they covered? Berwyn and Lombard. Berwyn for its quirky businesses [admittedly far more fascinating than Riverside] its bungalows, and its diversity and Lombard for its lilacs and - drumroll- its charming historic downtown.

    I understand they did a lot of restoration and sprucing up with TIF funds. It looked good to me because they had a whole string of human sized low-rise buildings. I understand they have had new construction, also under TIF, but don't know what it looks like. The concerned citizens there had a battle royale over the historic DuPage Theater, keeping it a hair's breadth from the wrecking ball. I think they have saved it by encasing it in some fake old surround.

    But, does anyone know downtown Lombard? How does it look? (Of course, I could only see on TV the part they showed.) I can't find any pix of it.

    Note how they skipped right over Riverside. Are you insulted or relieved?

    Posted Friday Feb 2, 2007 17:05 #

  2. ChrisHajer
    Member

    Catherine, here is a map of the Lombard TIF district. At least you can see where it's located.

    http://www.villageoflombard.org/resources/tif%20district%2011x17.pdf

    Correction: map of their three TIF districts. (East, West and Downtown)

    Posted Friday Feb 2, 2007 17:11 #

  3. Tim
    Member

    Chris, did you find anything as to why they did 3 different TIF districts? Conceivably each would have its own TIF Document with varying verbage based on the needs specific to each area...

    Posted Friday Feb 2, 2007 17:48 #

  4. Tim
    Member

    One site I found detailed the Lombard TIF District that included the DuPage Theater seems to indicate that the TIF district was created for the sole purpose of Restoring the Theater...$1M was committed to the project in TIF funds...

    ...it was also interested to see it noted that specific TIF District was only established for 7 years...I think when the 23 year thing is tossed around people forget that that is the MAXIMUM time a TIF can be in place...it seems you could actually set up your TIF for any length of time up to 23 years...perhaps you all know this already, but I found it helpful...

    Posted Friday Feb 2, 2007 17:59 #

  5. Tim
    Member

    ...maybe the Village of Riverside could set up a series of mini-TIFs centered on Historic Buildings...each TIF District could be oriented to best help Restoration and Re-Development and timed appropriately to minimize risk...

    Arcade District - The Village discovers that the current owners of the Arcade are indeed dedicated to a 1st class restoration, we commit to aid in the Restoration (within reason) as objectives are met since the Arcade and its historic significance and location is central to the re-development of the CBD.

    Tower District - The Village finds that the owner of the Tower Building has no interest in Historic Restoration but is rather bent on exploiting the Village and its citizens for as much $$$ as possible...the Village commits TIF fund to take the Tower Building by eminent domain and Re-sells the property to a 3rd party developer committed to the improvement of Riverside. The Tower Building gets a much needed facelift and commuters flock to the new-fangled cafe where the antique shop used to be.

    Burlington District - Realizing the need to update the dilapidating 2-flats, coupled with concern over poorly addressed traficking and parking needs, the Village commits to improve parking, landscaping and infrastructure in this area utilizing a naturalistically sensitive version of the TOD and in return the private owners consider a joint effort to redevelop Burlington to maximize usage.

    These plans could be expressly limited to 7-10 years and residential property could be excluded as the primary focus should be directed initially to the heart of the CBD. If successful, future considerations could include Swan Pond water issues and the need for a parking garage...but, initially, these ventures would seem to be "priced out" of reason and not be a direct contributor to the "re-kindling" of the CBD...

    2-cents

    Posted Friday Feb 2, 2007 18:15 #

  6. corbi328
    Member

    Tim,

    Interesting concept because the buildings and locations you identify in the three proposed TIF's are probably among the highest priorities that the Village would like to address as part of the TIF. Why do you exclude Quincy? I think like Burlington, Quincy is a street the Village feels needs to be revitalized. Why do three seperate TIFS when these areas can be captured through contiguity in one TIF and as a result save the significant costs that would be incurred in administering three seperate TIFS? You said that in your proposal "residential property could be excluded". I think you need to be very careful in how one thinks about this because as I see it, your proposal does include "residential property".

    Posted Friday Feb 2, 2007 23:24 #

  7. Catherine
    Member

    Tim, perhaps you were joking but the TIF area has to be a certain size.

    Perhaps no one has seen the alleged historic shopping district in Lombard.

    Posted Saturday Feb 3, 2007 00:04 #

  8. KimJ
    Member

    Yorktown is looking REAL good.

    Posted Saturday Feb 3, 2007 03:46 #

  9. Tim
    Member

    Catherine...not necessarily joking, just thinking out loud. I had just looked at the map Chris linked to Lombard and was curious as to why they had 3 districts (which didn't look all that large on the map.) Without getting into the potential uses (or abuses) of a TIF, I guess my thought was geared more toward the 'spirit' of a TIF...which would be to improve an area, building, place by borrowing from the future returns of that which you would improve.

    Some concerns posted around this site include:

    Do we trust those overseeing the TIF district to make the right decisions with TIF funds?
    Do we trust our private investors to re-develop in an historically sensitive manner?
    Do we have to commit to this for 23 years?
    Do we need/can weeven afford a parking garage at this time?
    Do you have to have my house in a TIF district?
    Do you have to have these Green Spaces in the TIF?

    I guess my thinking out loud was an attempt to solve many of these problems (if it would even be possible). The objective would be to create these 'mini-TIFs' separately with the sole purpose of addressing isolated public conerns in the CBD. The duration of each would not need to be nearly as long...once the concern was addressed that TIF District is terminated.

    Posted Saturday Feb 3, 2007 07:59 #

  10. Tim
    Member

    Corbi I am not a city planner (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express!)

    All joking aside, I think what I am suggesting is that the Village take baby steps and try to accomplish in pieces what they are proposing to tackle all at once.

    Here's an example:

    Take the Arcade Building and the VC. Now can any good come out of the VC other than a pizza joint? Yes, the VC is instant unrealized, EAV $. Take the B2 map and figure out what you need to link up the VC with the Arcade...include just what you need. Create this mini-TIF and designate within the TIF document that the purposes of the proposed TIF is to benefit the ARCADE and its surrounding businesses (I don't think you'd get too many complaints from the Arcade neighbors if the Arcade was a restored booming building)...you could include in your document that TIF funds would only be available to entities who qualify for Federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits (this would add incentive to Historic Preservation)...

    There. You didn't get a chance to address Tower, Burlington or Quincy...but it's a start. Worried about your Parking garage, the parks, Swan Pond? If you were able to successfully execute 3 or 4 mini-TIFs the Village should be in good shape to handle these projects in the long run (that is the basis of the ONE TIF proposal, right?)

    The sign at the door of Riverside says "Population 7900". Is that big or is that small?

    Posted Saturday Feb 3, 2007 08:16 #

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