As the Chicago Bears and village of Arlington Heights leaders think about the soccer crew’s behemoth, multi-billion greenback plan to redevelop the Arlington International Racecourse web site the Bears just lately bought, the city’s downtown space is high of thoughts for leaders and a few enterprise house owners already there.
For Chip Brooks, who owns the stay music venue and restaurant Hey Nonny, downtown Arlington Heights is exclusive as a result of “we don’t have a lot of outsiders here.” For him, the dominance of locally-owned companies within the space units the village’s industrial district other than its neighbors.
The Bears’ official buy of the previous horse racing web site, two miles north of downtown, has introduced that distinguishing native character into even sharper focus for Brooks. The land sale is step one within the means of creating what might presumably be a really giant neighbor to the prevailing downtown.
The village has already authorized a pre-development settlement with the Bears, and the crew’s proposal for an estimated $5 billion mixed-use improvement would come with a domed stadium, luxurious residential items, an leisure district and retail house.
Brooks and different enterprise house owners are looking forward to what they think about the eventual redevelopment of the racecourse with a combination of apprehension, curiosity and optimism because the NFL crew and the village think about plans for the 326-acre property.
Should the soccer crew’s redevelopment plans proceed at Arlington Park — because the racecourse can be identified — the query for Brooks is “are there enough people in the area that would feed these entertainment districts to keep them both active and successful?”
Village Business Development Manager Michael Mertes mentioned downtown Arlington Heights is at present dwelling to greater than 175 companies, together with about 30 retailers, 30 eating places and greater than 50 service suppliers. He mentioned final yr the companies in that space generated just below $2.4 million in gross sales, and meals and beverage taxes for the village.
Mertes mentioned the combo of leisure choices, together with industrial choices, retains the district energetic all through the day, with venues like Metropolis Performing Arts Center and Brooks’ Hey Nonny drawing patrons to the world.
“That balance keeps downtown alive during the day and evening, and especially on the weekends,” Mertes mentioned in an e-mail to Pioneer Press.
Brooks mentioned he doesn’t need what the Bears could deliver to “cannibalize” the present downtown.
“If you determine that there is enough of an audience to support two [entertainment and retail] districts, how do you brand and form those districts in a way so that they could be cooperative, symbiotic?” he questioned.
The Bears’ proposal just isn’t a executed deal, village leaders have mentioned. And any building remains to be years down the street, Brooks and others who spoke to Pioneer Press acknowledged.
When the crew’s city planners introduced the renderings to the Village Board late final yr, Trustee Jim Tinaglia was skeptical that the village wanted one other transit-oriented improvement when it already had the thriving mixed-use space across the Metra tracks.
“I can’t buy into this site plan,” he mentioned. “I can’t buy into what it means and how detrimental I think it will be for our businesses downtown.”
Months later, at an April board assembly, different trustees echoed these issues.
“We have such a vibrant downtown right now,” Trustee Robin LaBedz mentioned. “And I wouldn’t want anything to happen that would harm them, or would harm the number of patrons they would have.”
“The plans that the Chicago Bears football club are going to submit to us are going to be very voluminous,” Trustee Richard Baldino mentioned April 3. “I think we have all voiced that concern at one point or another about competition with the downtown in addition to other concerns.”
He mentioned an upcoming step for trustees shall be analyzing research from the village’s financial improvement advisor and for the Bears themselves to start figuring out whether or not the crew’s plans will pose “direct competition” to present companies.
“I think the overall agreement is that the business area matters, and we want it to stay strong,” mentioned Trustee Nicolle Grasse.
Promoting and advertising and marketing the prevailing downtown because the Bears’ plans roll on was a serious matter at a current assembly of the Arlington Heights Economic Alliance because the group’s membership thought-about what they wished to ship of their biannual letter of priorities to the Village Board.
Armed with espresso and donuts at about 7:30 a.m. on a vibrant March morning, actual property agent and Arlington Economic Alliance Chair Andrew Stengren mentioned he’s a “big fan” of the Bears’ proposed challenge.
“I think it’s going to be awesome, but I just want to make sure that we keep our downtown district thriving,” Stengren mentioned.
Alliance member Heather Larson mentioned even when the world doesn’t ultimately host a brand new NFL stadium, the information concerning the crew’s potential arrival within the village has been an essential inflection level.
“Arlington Heights is now a national name, which is such an amazing opportunity,” she mentioned. “It’s a very exciting time, even if we don’t get the Bears.”
Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce Director Jon Ridler mentioned he needs to see as many individuals give enter on advertising and marketing and branding efforts as potential.
“The more ideas, the better across the board, because it is an enormous undertaking,” he mentioned.
Larson identified that the kinds of companies to find within the mixed-use district proposed by the Bears would doubtless be completely different from what’s supplied now within the village’s downtown space.
She predicted “there’s going to be TGI Fridays and Hooters and $12 Miller Lites … it’s a different environment,” she mentioned.
Ridler later mentioned in an e-mail to Pioneer Press that the proposed improvement might supply alternatives for independently owned companies alongside nationwide chains.
“Having a mix would be beneficial to locals and visitors,” he mentioned. “The uniqueness of our downtown comes from its geography and specialty restaurants and shops. That won’t change with new development elsewhere in the village.”
Larson’s statement rang true for Heather Henkel, who owns a Kilwins ice cream store on Campbell Street. She anticipates that any mixed-use district on the racecourse could be “sectioned off” and occupied by bigger chains.
“This is organic down here,” she mentioned. “Out there, you’re going to have bigger characters.”
Henkel just isn’t involved about an incipient retail district diverting enterprise from downtown.
“The racetrack has been out there for how long?” she mentioned. “The track was a large venue, thousands of people. I view this as kind of being the same.”
“The only difference,” Henkel mentioned, is that “yes, there will be a few more restaurants and other things out there.”
She acknowledged that some native entrepreneurs really feel the must be extra concerned in proceedings associated to the Bears’ redevelopment plans and she or he doesn’t “negate their concerns by any means.”
But Henkel mentioned she’s seen nothing to make her involved but.
“I’m not a huge worrier,” she mentioned. “I have a business to run. I have other things to worry about.”
Across Campbell Street, Danielle Kuhn mentioned it’s onerous to say simply but what the Bears’ land buy will imply for improvement outdoors the village downtown space. But no matter occurs, she needs to see the village proceed to help the prevailing retail and leisure district.
Kuhn held out for 4 years for what she thought-about the proper location earlier than opening her farm-to-table restaurant Scratchboard Kitchen as a result of she felt so strongly about opening in a walkable surroundings.
“It really is the center of everything,” Kuhn mentioned of the downtown space, seated subsequent to a glass case of Lucky Charm scones, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and Irish soda bread.
She is assured that the Bears is not going to replicate the “family friendly and quaint” really feel of the prevailing downtown.
“What downtown will provide is very different from what that area will provide,” Kuhn mentioned.
Still, Kuhn mentioned she is seeking to study extra about what the event will deliver to the racecourse web site.
She’s participated with Brooks and different enterprise house owners in conversations with Arlington Heights leaders about the best way to deliver extra occasions to downtown and promote it extra successfully to residents of the village and past.
“Now that the Bears are in the picture, it’s even more important,” she mentioned.
Kuhn and others additionally informed Pioneer Press they consider village leaders will make selections that help the prevailing enterprise neighborhood.
“I trust that the village and our community sees value in what our locally owned restaurants bring to the village and I don’t think that’s going to go away,” Kuhn mentioned.
Village Manager Randy Reckaus was fast to make the identical level.
“One of the things that we’ve said right from the beginning is we want any development that occurs there, whether it’s from the Bears or someone else, to be complementary to our existing businesses in our downtown and elsewhere,” he mentioned.
Discussions with downtown enterprise house owners have been productive up to now, Recklaus mentioned, and have ranged past the Bears to Arlington Alfresco and different points that have an effect on the district.
However, Recklaus added, “it certainly isn’t going to be the only mechanism we use to talk to folks about this project as it unfolds. There’s going be a lot of opportunities for public input for businesses and residents alike.”
The specifics of these public enter alternatives are “still being designed,” he mentioned. “We want to have some things that the public can respond to.”
Brooks shall be paying shut consideration to the proceedings, he mentioned. Despite his issues about what the Bears plans for the racecourse might imply for the downtown space, he has “a lot of faith and confidence” within the village management and workers as they navigate the redevelopment course of.
“These are wildly difficult and complicated issues,” Brooks mentioned.
But regardless of the complexities, he sees a Bears arrival within the village as a immediate to assume and plan forward: “No matter what, our downtown needs to step up its game.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com