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Retail 1-2-3 "Coming Soon"

(37 posts)
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  1. KimJ
    Member

    Wednesday, March 21, 6:00 p.m. Auditorium, Township Hall

    The Metropolitan Planning Commission will be hosting a session in Riverside on their new seminar - Retail 1-2-3. The new session prepared by MPC is an exercise for communities to evaluate the type of retail offerings and opportunities that might best suit a community. As we continue to strive for a revitalized Central Business District, we invite the entire community to participate.

    A light dinner will be offered to participants.

    Please RSVP to Barb Heinrich at 708-447-2700, ext. 254 or email bheinrich@riverside.il.us.

    Posted Wednesday Mar 7, 2007 17:25 #

  2. spatny
    Member

    I signed up today. Does anyone know when the alleged EDC-led workshop takes place?

    Posted Wednesday Mar 7, 2007 22:20 #

  3. Catherine
    Member

    Oh, I saw this in the eflash today. Since it is EDC propaganda, I won't bother to go. Hasn't anyone told them that condos are wanted, not retail?

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 10:20 #

  4. spatny
    Member

    This is being put on by the guys that, in the conference call, were looking for a fee for doing it. So this will probably another TIF cost. I'm wading through a sheaf of bills I got today under FOIA that show how we are being billed for every little thing by our friendly consultants and experts - and there are a lot of them. More to follow.

    Have you ever noticed how Trustee Shields is so quick to spend the Village money on guys like McKenna, but when it was time to rebuild his street - Arlington - then he wanted the rules changed and the whole Village to pay for that. Then the guy even voted on that item in which he had a direct financial interest. I wonder if Bell Boyd gets any work from McKenna? I know they are listed as hotshot TIF consultants. Well, what goes around comes around, right?

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 11:52 #

  5. MikeT
    Member

    Please share the costs, Mr Spatny. I mean, please report the costs you have with the public.

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 12:05 #

  6. MikeT
    Member

    I hope that this Retailing 123 exercise can make clear what it takes to be successful in town, retailing wise. I am a wage slave, but I am pretty sure it means that Revenues must exceed costs.

    I bet the biggest cost for a retailer is rent (space).

    I hope it is made very clear what the typical current rents are in town and what the estimated rent would be for new construction space.

    If I cannot make this, I hope someone tries to get this info.

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 12:10 #

  7. Elisa
    Member

    I was reading the other day about Clarendon Hills and the public comments that were made during their board meeting as they discussed a TIF district for Ogden Ave. One comment particularly struck me as something that seemed obvious. A man said that it is not surprising at all that the retail EAV would lag the rest of the village's. If you are a homeowner, then you want to maintain your property and make improvements on it for many reasons: resale value, more pleasurable to live in.... But if you are a business owner, then you want your property to be good enough - one that will attract customers, one that won't have unsafe electrical systems, etc. The bottom line is the profit margin and if the businesses don't see a profit in having the best-looking building but can still attract customers, then they won't pour money into their facades. Again, as so mant have pointed out, it's what the market will bear. So it stands to reason that the EAV would not be as much as residential.

    (Now, one could argue against that by saying that if a TIF were in place, then they could apply for reimbursments for making improvements. But, that is putting the cart before the horse, really.)

    I also read Downers Grove's minutes where people were speaking out againt their TIF. Many of the speakers at the meeting (you know, the one where the board voted for the TIF the day before a non-binding referendum question was put to the voters who turned it down, but it was too late) were small business owners. They were worried that outside developers would come in and they would be forced to relocate away from where they had been doing business for years and years. It is interesting that the Chamber of Commerce has not spoken as a group, but are leaving it to individuals to decide. I wonder if they are worried about the same things.

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 13:44 #

  8. MikeT
    Member

    Elisa, thanks for the info on the other towns. Do you have the links to their towns' sites where you saw that TIF talk?

    Also, I believe I heard that the town of Desplaines had a situation where the board went ahead with a TIF despite waiting for the wishes of the public were known.

    Did this kind of thing also happen in Downers Grove, or am I mistaken about Desplaines?

    It is valuable for us as a town to see how TIFs affect other towns before we take the plunge.

    .
    .

    Also, it has been said before here, but I am not so sure how explicitly stated the Village has said it...

    this tif seems to be more for adding high density residential, including a parking deck for the same, to the center of town and the immediate environs - Pine, Forest, Burlington - than for the stated reason of filling our retail.

    Why else would they include residential areas in a CBD revitalization program?

    If you do not want added high density residential developments in this town,

    then vote NO to the first two TIF questions on the upcoming ballot.

    Actually, the this high density residential would then give retail a better chance - would give it 'synergies', as a pro tif person told me recently.

    EDIT:

    See these two related links ...

    'synergies' with the 'i-rack', and the 'things in it'...

    http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=254&replies=18#post-3961

    magic population number...

    http://www.riversideinfo.org/forum/topic.php?id=230&replies=10#post-3668

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 14:40 #

  9. spatny
    Member

    Coming soon to a Village near you - The Attack of the Killer Condos - starring...

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 15:05 #

  10. Elisa
    Member

    Mike ~ I am so sorry, you are correct! I said Downers, but it really was Des Plaines. Here is the link ~ the public comments are about halfway down.

    http://desplaines.org/ReferenceDesk/AgendasandMinutes/2006/061016.htm

    The comments I referenced from Clarendon Hills start on page 41 and go on. (It's kind of interesting to read through - many of the sentiments are very similar to Riverside's.) Actually, Clarendon Hills is a somewhat similiar community to ours - curvilinear streets, small downtown, no through streets, good schools...
    But, they have a lot of newer condo development by the train tracks. Hmmm...maybe a picture of things to come?

    http://www.clarendon-hills.il.us/minutes/2005/110705CH_TIF.PDF

    Posted Tuesday Mar 20, 2007 16:15 #

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