Poor Choices Blamed For Clarendon Hills Situation: Official

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – A top Clarendon Hills official on Thursday blamed poor choices of the past for missed economic development opportunities.

Village Manager Zach Creer did so as he made the case to hire a consultant to study improving 55th Street. The Village Board plans to vote on the consultant Monday.

In a memo released Thursday, Creer contended the village should make major upgrades to 55th, saying needed investments in infrastructure would cost at least $10 million – out of the reach of the village's regular budget.

He pointed to the old Tracy's Tavern site as a particular problem. Last year, the board rejected a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through for that property, prompting the developer to abandon the project.

The result of an improved 55th, Creer said, would be a "significant economic engine" that could lower the tax burden for the rest of the town.

Long ago, Creer said, the town's founders decided Clarendon Hills should be a residential bedroom town, giving up big opportunities to annex commercial land north of Ogden Avenue.

Meanwhile, the cost of providing services increased far faster than the public's ability to pay because of the labor-intensive nature of schools and police, he said.

"Surrounding towns were able to take advantage of the Village's inaction and build large restaurant and car dealer sales tax bases, which in turn allows for a stronger non-property revenue base," Creer said.

On the bright side, he said, the village has benefitted greatly from the teardown trend in which new homeowners demolish old houses and replace them with higher-value ones.

As a result, the owners of the new homes have taken the brunt of the village's cost hikes and prevented any sort of cost spiral seen in southern Cook County, Creer said. That area is generally poorer than the western suburbs.

"Ogden Ave has transformed from a major drain on resources to a large sales tax generator by removing a problem motel and using a (tax increment financing district) to attract (an) Infiniti Car Dealer (though the Village missed certain opportunities such as a Walgreens due to uninterested property owners)," Creer said in the memo.

Meanwhile, a tax increment financing district has successfully transformed downtown from one filled with vacancies and low-activity service businesses to one with successful restaurants, low-school-impact luxury housing, stores and new service businesses, Creer said.

He recommended the board approve Dallas-based Ryan LLC as the consultant to study 55th Street. The costs would be covered by the tax increment financing district once it is established, he said.