Winnetka Drafts New Art, Arcade Laws Due To Real Estate Company

WINNETKA, IL — Lawyers for the Village of Winnetka have been tasked with drafting a "simple" new law concerning the placement of art on public property. The Village Council's direction to staff Tuesday was prompted by the refusal of Hoffmann Commercial Real Estate to remove a more than 6-foot-tall bronze statue from a downtown street corner.

Village trustees agreed at a July 24 study session to give the company, a major local real estate investor, a month to get rid of the figure at the corner of Elm Street of Lincoln Avenue. The piece, "Really" by Jim Rennert has become commonly known as "The Big Guy."

Village President Chris Rintz explained Aug. 21 he wanted to make sure trustees were still on board with the plan before turning the municipal attorneys loose.

"We all agreed that if the controversial statue on Elm and Lincoln was not removed within two weeks the village attorney should draft an ordinance for council review legislating placement of public art on the village rights of way," he said.

Council members expressed hope that the village attorneys would be able to keep it simple.

"One can only hope," Rintz said.

Last month, trustees had expressed hope that the company would remove the sidewalk statute to save the village the hassle of creating a new set of regulations.

"It's bad for you guys, it's bad for the village," Trustee Andy Cripes said at the time. "The last thing I want to do, to be perfectly honest, is to impose regulations on this."

Earlier: 'Big Guy' Must Be Gone Or New Laws Are Coming, Company Warned »

Meanwhile, the village is considering amending its code to allow arcade games in order for Hoffmann to operate a "high-end boutique arcade" on the ground floor of its property at 552-554 Lincoln Ave.

The proposal would also include an ice cream shop in the former location of a weight loss service and toy store in the space previously occupied by a physical therapy company. The company said it aimed to create a destination for young families. The arcade would cater to children aged 4 to 12.

"With this plan, we hope to capture what small towns once met for children growing up, helping to create lasting memories that they will carry with them for years to come," Hoffmann representatives wrote in a letter attached to the village.

Trustees decided Aug. 7 to ask its director of community development to prepare a draft amendment to the village code, which currently bans video gaming and any form of coin-operated amusement devices that are not forms of the claw game.

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