Morton Grove's Financial Picture Looking Up?

Many Morton Grove residents don’t even know an industrial area exists around the intersection of Oakton and Lehigh, but the village is pinpointing it to generate more prosperity for the community. 

Village officials want independent eyes to analyze the industrial area and evaluate its possibilities.

Thus, when they learned villages could apply for help from a  $4.25 million federally-funded program, they applied--and got accepted. The planning help is provided by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP).

Earlier:

The first hearing to solicit community feedback in the program was held Tuesday at the American Legion Memorial Civic Center.  

Industrial companies provide customers for MG businesses

The village is looking at bolstering the industrial area because it can help the economic health of the entire community.

Although companies in the industrial area do not generate retail sales tax revenues (unless they also have retail outlets), they still augment community revenues, according to John Said, Morton Grove’s community development director.

The more jobs created, the more potential business for local merchants. Employees also could choose to settle in Morton Grove, further boosting revenue.

Mission: use planning as a tool to boost local business

CMAP is working around the entire Chicago area to find ways to boost local business.

“CMAP was given a huge federal grant by HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)  to help implement projects and good planning principles,” Nicole Woods, CMAP project manager, said. “We created this regional plan called ‘Go To 2040.’”

'Con: Blighted' 'Pro: Metra station'

Woods divided the audience into two focus groups. Morton Grove Trustees John Thill and Bill Grear participated in one, while Trustee Shel Marcus was an active spokesman in the other.

Woods and CMAP colleague Jonathan Burch wrote down on easel boards the feedback about the industrial area, which surrounds the busy Menards store.

Among the negatives from the focus groups were “depressing,” “becoming obsolete,” “they are aged,” “blighted” and “lack of parking.”  Positives included “location and accessibility” and “(Metra) train station.”

Solutions included “improving facades,” “branding and signage,” “better landscaping” and “more parking.”

These companies create jobs

Although companies in the industrial area do not generate retail sales tax revenues unless they also have retail outlets, they have a multiplier effect on community revenues, according to John Said, Morton Grove’s community development director. The more jobs created, the more potential business for local merchants. Employees also could choose to settle in Morton Grove, further boosting revenue.

CMAP is working around the entire Chicago area to find ways to boost local business.

Morton Grove one of 64 proposals

All communities were asked to submit their lists of projects and studies for which they wanted help from CMAP and the HUD grant.  More than 220 proposals were submitted in what Woods called “the first wave.” Morton Grove was one of 64 proposals accepted.

Morton Grove saw the CMAP program as an opportunity, according to Said.

“We put our heads together at Village Hall to find out the ways we can take advantage of this,” he said. “Our commercial areas, we already have a lot of plans on those. Our residential areas are fairly stable.  The industrial areas, we feel are probably subject to the most change. 

Haven't done village plan since 1990s

“We haven’t done this kind of analysis since the last village-wide plan (in the 1990s).  It was time to do this again. The dynamics are different.”

Woods already has talked to the village Plan Commission and Chamber of Commerce while she and her staff have toured Morton Grove to gather information.

Next steps in recommending improvements to the industrial area are drafting a plan, a public open house and implementation of the plan.

Scant attendance

While the discussion was robust, there were not many participants. As many Morton Grove trustees and village employees showed up as interested citizens.

“If we had said ‘Tilted Kilt’ tonight, it would be overflow into the next room,” Thill said of the issue of a  new sports bar with scantily-dressed servers talked about for a Dempster Street location near the Metra tracks that has sparked hot debate in recent weeks.

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Resident Jenny Hirsch, who works on the finance committee of School District 67, said the majority of residents won’t come to community meetings such as CMAP’s. More must be done, she commented, to identify individuals to whom to reach out.

Reach out to ‘diverse community'

“This is a really diverse community, but the people coming here are 100 percent white,” Hirsch said. The myriad of local ethnic groups, including individuals who don’t speak English as a first language, need to be included in such programs going forward, she added.

Project manager Woods, who led the meeting, was undeterred. She said residents in attendance would spread the word and provide a “snowball effect” to look at the industrial area.

“You guys are our best ambassadors,” Woods said.

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