Restaurant To Get Clarendon Hills Subsidy

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – A Clarendon Hills restaurant is in line to get a village subsidy for building improvements.

But an official on Monday questioned whether the village was letting the landlord off the hook.

According to a village memo, Little Creperie is moving to 95 Park Ave., from 100 Park Ave.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, trustees voted to give the business up to $62,555. They are expected to take a final vote next month.

Most of that money is set to be used for making the building handicapped-accessible and bringing it up to fire, electrical and plumbing codes, the memo said.

About 10 percent of the money can be used for move-in costs.

The money will come from downtown's tax increment financing district, or TIF. This is where growth in property tax income is re-invested in the district.

At the meeting, Ed Cage, the village's community development director, said the restaurant would move into a space that has been vacant for a while.

"This will be an increase in square footage from where Creperie is now. She obviously has some valued clientele who would be happy to walk across the street," Cage said. "They have an outdoor area. That's a key component for the new location."

Trustee Meredith Lannert said it seemed as if the village is renovating a lot of neglected buildings.

"I have trouble that the owners are not investing a lot of money in their properties," Lannert said. "They benefit."

If Little Creperie's owner retires, Lannert said, the landlord has a brand-new space that is handicapped-accessible, and "he put nothing into it."

"I'm all about helping, but I think the owners have to have some investment," Lannert said.

Officials said the leases for improved properties sometimes include lower-than-market rent, lower increases or rent holidays.

"There is some skin in the game," Cage said.