Let's NOT make the same mistake here in Clarendon Hills - ACTION ITEMS BELOW:
BR MAYOR GRASSO ADMITS VILLAGE PERHAPS MADE A MISTAKE ON VILLAGE CENTER “ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT”
At last night’s Village Board meeting, Mayor Grasso made a rare public admission that one of the Village’s recent decisions might have to be walked back.
He was talking about the “Entertainment District” at the northeast end of the privately-owned Burr Ridge Village Center (BRVC).
A few years ago, Edwards Realty (then BRVC’s owner; it’s since been sold) joined forces with the Village to cordon off about a quarter of the mall from vehicular traffic and instead install lighting, overhead signage, a games area, and expand the pedestrian/entertainment center which is now only accessible on foot. (Construction ran over-long, and the mayor complained.) This has caused a few businesses to leave and others to request grants of money from the Village to stay afloat or improve their facilities.
Residents have also complained about lack of parking.
Last night, Mayor Grasso admitted something had to be done. He wants the Village to reconsider the entire project, saying he thought those businesses were “isolated” from the rest of the mall. And he’s right. So Grasso wants staff to revisit opening the road “at least in winter” to make it more “accessible.”
While the mayor has a valid point, is he being charitable or is he running scared? He knows the Entertainment District is costing the Village money. Businesses are closing, noise is an issue for BRVC condo residents, and some remaining businesses are coming to the Village with their hands out looking for capital improvements. Let's reopen the road (and, hopefully, parking!) at the far end of the mall!
ATTEND: Clarendon Hills Board Meeting Monday, June 15 at 6:30 PM
WRITE: to your CH Village Board and ask them NOT to waste over $1,000,000 on pavers and permanent bollards (like Burr Ridge did...) for an unwanted, unneeded event, dining, & drinking plaza in place of our critical right-hand slip-lane road. We NEED access to get to our stores and into, through and around our compact downtown in Clarendon Hills. Seeing what has happened in Burr Ridge, there is NO good reason to close our road and it's not even proven to be safe in CH - no comprehensive traffic study has been done. This project will do more damage than good and our board should put the brakes on this plaza and bollard project NOW. Stop the plaza. It makes no sense from a business or from a safety standpoint in such close proximity to our busy and only train crossing.
VillageBoard@ClarendonHills.us
Write a short email. Ask the board to stop this project now. We don't want to end up backtracking like Burr Ridge has to do. It's time for common sense and a pivot AWAY from this reckless plan.