Building Up For $103,000 Facade Grant Beset by Project Delays, Could Lose Funding

SHOREWOOD -- Plans to renovate the former Verizon building, 4144 N. Oakland Ave. into a hamburger and ice cream restaurant - with the help of a $103,000 grant - are beset by delays, and officials are figuring out what to do next.

In May of 2016, the Village Board approved a façade grant for Pingo-Oakland for a building improvement at 4144 N. Oakland Avenue in the amount of $103,000.

The project was scheduled to be constructed by early fall of 2016, however delays arising from securing contractors in addition to the lack of a finalized lease with the property owners has pushed the project's completion date.

At best, the project could be completed by mid-November, but developers are considering asking to push the completion date out to 2017.

If that scenario unfolded, funds for the project would no longer be available for disbursement, because the closing of the village's spending period is December 31.

The Project

Shorewood NOW had reported that the co-founders of Collectivo Coffee will lease the building and plan to make an $800,000 investment into the building on their own to install a variety of amenities including new glass garage doors, year-round patio and additions to the building that will nearly double its square footage. Shorewood NOW reported that the funds were not granted without some controversy. Read their report to find out the details.