Economic Development

Breaking Ground and Broken Earth

angie
At the ground breaking ceremony this past Saturday for the new Primrose School in Long Grove.

At the ground breaking ceremony this past Saturday for the new Primrose School in Long Grove.

This weekend I was excited to take part in two celebrations of new beginnings. A ground breaking ceremony was held for the new Primrose School of Long Grove, to be built at the corner of Rt. 22 and Old McHenry Road, just north of Smokin T’s BBQ. Business owner Jennifer Wierzchon and her family were on hand to mark the occasion and I can testify that the kids had a blast digging and ground truly was broken! Some worms were even unearthed to join the festivities. Primrose School will be a welcome addition to our community and it will offer high-quality early childhood education, overlooking a beautiful natural setting. In our recent community-wide survey residents responded that the quality of education in Long Grove was the feature that most attracted them to our community, followed by the abundance of open space. Primrose School is poised to offer both of these attributes to our young families who have already chosen Long Grove as a great place to raise their children, and to those yet to come in the future. I wish them the best of success!

Following this happy event, I attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at Broken Earth Winery on Robert Parker Coffin Road at the upper level of the Mill Pond Shoppes. Owned by the Forsythe family, this beautiful wine bar offers a California wine tasting experience featuring their own wines originating from the family-owned vineyards in Paso Robles, California. Broken Earth is actually celebrating their one year anniversary, having opened last October but continuing to expand over the past year to add more seating both indoors and out. I can admit to being a regular “taster” of their wines, and this local gathering spot has become a favorite place to relax at the end of a long week. After the ceremonial ribbon was cut, we all raised our glasses in a toast to another year of prosperity and growth in our historic downtown!

 

At the ribbon cutting celebrating the one year anniversary of Broken Earth Winery.

At the ribbon cutting celebrating the one year anniversary of Broken Earth Winery.

Tapping Into the Future–Part 1

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Village Board Members at work on July 14, 2015

Village Board Members at work on July 14, 2015

Village Hall is undergoing some minor renovations this month, and our Engineering Firm, Gewalt Hamilton and Associates, was kind enough to host the Village Board meeting last night. One major piece of business we accomplished was the approval of an engineering proposal from GHA for the design of the extension of our village public water system. Currently, the village-owned deep well near Sunset Foods only serves the businesses in Sunset Grove Plaza, and last night’s action set into motion the ability for that system to serve the entire historic downtown. Work is also progressing towards a connection to Lake Michigan water through the Northwest Water Commission, which will have the capacity to be delivered through this downtown watermain loop. Expansion of our municipal water system is key to opening the flow of economic development in our downtown, and the Village is working hard to enable several new opportunities to develop.

Harbor Chase Senior Living is set to begin demolition soon of the old Midwest Bank building, and completion of this development is planned for February of 2017. They will be a major user of the newly expanded water system, and are contributing towards the cost of installation. In addition, this development will bring much needed revenue into the TIF district. The costs of the expansion are being born by the developers and users, not the residents. The Village expects to close soon on the sale of the Archer building pads, and the expected development of these lots will be for restaurant use, which is heavily dependent on water. Our existing downtown businesses and restaurants will be able to connect to the new water lines, bringing better quality. And most exciting to consider is the opportunity that a resident is exploring, to relocate a well-established craft beer brewery from the city of Chicago to Long Grove. The revitalization that this new addition to our downtown could bring is significant, and the Board is collaborating to help make this a reality. In addition to spurring economic development, our enhanced water system will provide added capacity for fire fighting. The stage is set for our downtown taps to soon be able to dispense higher quality deep well water, eventual Lake Michigan water, and craft beer brewed locally in our historic downtown. If these goals can all be accomplished, a flood of new possibilities for Long Grove awaits.

Beans & Leaves

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Ethel Berger, owner of Beans & Leaves

Ethel Berger, owner of Beans & Leaves

In the past year, I have noticed a trend that I find encouraging–Long Grove restaurants being opened or purchased by Long Grove residents. There is something very heartwarming about seeing our own citizens caring about our historic downtown and stepping in to be invested in seeing it succeed. The Chatterbox, Long Grove Café, and Broken Earth Winery are all recent examples of this, as is the new owner of Beans & Leaves, Ethel Berger.

Ethel, along with her husband and two daughters, has lived in Long Grove for about two years. They most recently moved from Buffalo Grove, but Ethel has spent her life in many different places around the globe. She was born in the Philippines and came first to the United States to attend college in Washington D.C. Ethel started her career working for World Bank, and followed with a move to California for a job in the software industry. Eventually deciding that her life needed a new direction, she sold everything she owned and moved to Italy to attend culinary school. Ethel pursued this career as a chef at Club Med resorts, with Fairmont Hotels, and also worked as a personal chef. She moved back to the United States with intentions of returning to Europe, but fate intervened when she met her husband Tim.

Fast forward several years, to a busy Mom dropping off her girls at the Montessori School in Long Grove, and stopping by for a cup of coffee at Beans & Leaves. As a regular customer, Ethel was familiar with the business and when former owner Karen Krahn decided it was time to move on, the timing was just right for Ethel. She anticipates making only minor cosmetic changes for now, while slowly making the business her own. One thing that will continue is the tradition of live music. Supporting musicians is important to Ethel as she serves on the board for Landowska Harpsichord Society in Chicago, which provides a Foundation to encourage new and young musicians.

Please join me in welcoming Ethel as one of our newest Long Grove merchants. Stop by for a cup of coffee or tea on your next drive through the crossroads, and get to know this neighbor who is playing a role in helping our downtown make a comeback.

Comfy & Cozy on a Cold Winter’s Night

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Chatterbox owner Steve Besbeas welcomes me at the door.

Chatterbox owner Steve Besbeas welcomes me at the door.

Faced with another night of sub-zero temps, my husband and I set out to find some comfort food and companionship this evening in Long Grove. Our first stop was the Chatterbox, where we discovered that not only was the parking lot packed, but the restaurant was doing a capacity business. Not a problem, as we continued on down the street to the Village Tavern to snag one of their last remaining tables. We had the added benefit of being entertained with music while we warmed ourselves with good food and atmosphere. On the way back to the car, we stopped by the Chatterbox for the ultimate comfort food on a cold night–the warm and gooey skillet cookie! An extra bonus was running into two couples from Neighbors and Newcomers club who were also out for a night in our hometown to escape the cold. I can’t tell you how great it was to see our restaurants in town doing a healthy business in the dead of winter. Chatterbox owner Steve Besbeas and I talked tonight about the possibility of another Long Grove location opening soon where locals can come together and socialize in our historic downtown. I know that it is hard to be patient, but the tide is turning in our Village. I share the vision of many other residents that we will see a real revitalization in the next few years in our hometown. In the midst of this cold, bitter weather, I see the sparks of hope growing steadily. The next time you are in the mood to socialize, look no further than our own Long Grove establishments. Help us keep the fires burning!

BACC Economic Summit

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Barrington Economic Summit
I had the opportunity to speak last week at an event sponsored by the Barrington Area Chamber of Commerce. Mayors and Village Presidents representing 8 different towns in the area participated in a breakfast panel to discuss economic development in each of our communities. It is always great when I get to interact with my peers, and even better when I get to hear what they are doing in their municipalities. Since the start of 2015, Long Grove has initiated two additional ways to help our local business community. We have hired a Chicago-area expert in the field of economic development to consult with the Village on an ongoing monthly basis, to work on targeting locations within our borders for new business development. She will also head up an Economic Development Task Force, made up of representatives of the Village Board, Plan Commission, property owners, business owners, residents, and the downtown LGBCP. This committee will meet monthly to brainstorm and share ideas and connections that can help attract and retain the types of businesses, restaurants, and entertainment that will enhance our community. Many of the old buildings on Fountain Square are in the process of being updated, and we at the Village are looking forward to working with the new property owners to get businesses up and running in the renovated spaces.