Haunted House Proposed for Morton Grove

Morton Grove is known for its pizza, horse stables and now perhaps, its scare tactics.

The village board received a presentation on Monday night for the creation of "Fear City" at 8220 Austin Ave.

Described as a "world-class haunted attraction for the Chicagoland area," the project aims to launch on Oct. 1 and last for 21 days each year.

"Leaders in Morton Grove have embraced the idea and see it as a good business opportunity," said Tony Duffy, the marketing director for the project. "We are planning a 35,000-square-foot, interactive haunted house with year-round occupancy, [with] 40 actors in Broadway-quality makeup and costumes, plus innovative lighting and sound."

Why Fear City in Morton Grove

Morton Grove's central location among the northern suburbs of Chicago makes it a good place for opening up shop, according to Charles Grendys III, co-owner of Big City Sets Inc.

And he added, the Halloween enthusiasts bring in additional business for Morton Grove restaurants as well as tax dollars. Admission to the attraction is $25 a head.

In a letter to the board, Village Administrator Joe Wade said, "The economic impact to the village is expected to include spillover benefits to restaurants, gas stations, etc. Additionally, it is my intent to research the possibility of an amusement tax, which for [the] sake of consideration may be approximately $10,000 annually."

The proposed operation times would be from 7-11 p.m. or 12 a.m. on weeknights and weekends for the month of October. Fear City would only operate during the Halloween season.

Background on Haunted Houses

In his letter to the village, Grendys said that Halloween is the "second-largest commercial holiday in the United States...[and] this past season, the 20.8 percent of Americans who attended a haunted attraction generated roughly $450 million in ticket sales."

His Big City Sets is a scenic company that has produced sets for films, advertising campaigns and the Super Bowl. Co-owner Jim Lichon designs the haunted houses, which have also been developed in Zion and Crest Hill.

Lichon, who designed sets for The Oprah Winfrey Show and won an Emmy for art direction, "has an extensive props building and decorating background from working in regional and commercial theater," according to Grendys.

Reactions From Other Venues

Community and Economic Development Director John Said sought information about the haunted houses' success from administrators in Zion and Crest Hill.

According to Said's memo, the overall reaction has been positive for both towns.

"This use has been a fantastic business with no major concerns or problems," said Sonolito Bronzon of the Department of Planning and Economic Development in Zion.

The city is home to Dungeon of Doom Haunted House. "One of the only negatives was some minor religious opposition as Zion is named for a community prominently identified in the Bible," he noted.

Steve Kuczkowski, the building commissioner and zoning officer in Crest Hill, said that the high admission price "acts as a deterrent for public safety and behavior problems."

Lingering Questions

Big City Sets' presentation on Monday night was the first public announcement of the proposal. The next step will be to notify nearby property owners, as required by state law.

Morton Grove's Planning Commission must review the proposal, which requires several amendments to zoning laws in town.

According to Wade, there are still at least four questions to address:

• Parking: Can the site handle the anticipated crowds of 22,000 people over 10 to 25 days?
• Traffic Flow: Owners expect about 200 cars an hour.
• Security: Fear City suggests using off-duty police and fire personnel.
• Noise: An issue that officials must address for neighbors.

During the presentation, Duffy said current plans called for 200 parking stalls and the potential to add 500 more stalls at a nearby site.

"Again, this is just information," Mayor Dan Staackmann said at the end of the presentation. "This project will go through all the regular board and committee meetings."