Plan To Redevelop Golf Mill Is Put On Hold

A plan to create a special taxing district to finance improvements at Golf Mill Shopping Center has been delayed, likely until the beginning of next year.

Mike Williams, the general manager of Golf Mill Shopping Center, said Thursday that Niles village officials told him they would not be ready to consider whether to declare the half-century-old mall “blighted,” making it eligible to become a “business district” in legal terms, until after the village finishes updating its comprehensive plan, most likely in November.

Village would collect tax, funnel it to mall improvements

Golf Mill and the village had proposed Aug. 23 that the village collect an extra quarter-percent sales tax from mall businesses that would go to infrastructure improvements and building rehabilitation at Golf Mill. 

Assistant Village Manager Steve Vinezeano confirmed that the Golf Mill redevelopment proposal had been delayed, but Village Manager George Van Geem, who has worked most closely with Golf Mill, was not available.

The extra sales tax would add 25 cents to the cost of a $100 purchase.

Earlier:

Some village trustees said Aug. 23 they wanted the Golf Mill proposal to align with the village's comprehensive plan, which has been months in the making.

The village and consultant Houseal, Lavigne and Associates asked residents, businesses and others what they wanted to see in Niles for the future, and they are developing a plan that encompasses transportation, housing, business, recreational, educational and other aspects. 

Earlier: Niles Develops Comprehensive Plan

The village plans to hold an open house to share the draft Niles 2030 Comprehensive Plan at 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Niles Senior Center, 999 Civic Center Drive, in the complex at Waukegan Road and Oakton Street. 

Golf Mill plan must jive with comprehensive plan

The comprehensive plan could change some of the proposed improvements to Golf Mill, Williams said, including its streetscape and transit provided by the RTA and Pace.

As part of the proposed improvements to Golf Mill, the mall wants to add an outlot building, a new store facade and a small department store. 

Mall says renewing itself will bring in more money for Niles

The shopping center needs village help to raise about $15 million in financing for the improvements because of the tight credit market. It cannot get a conventional loan, Williams told trustees at the Aug. 23 village board meeting. Yet if it stagnates, it risks losing customers to Randhurst Village and new malls proposed for Rosemont and Norridge, he said.

Niles would benefit from a refurbished and more vibrant shopping center by reaping more in sales taxes. For every dollar spent at Golf Mill, Williams cited, 67 cents comes from non-Niles residents, while 33 cents comes from Niles residents.

The Niles village board has scheduled a public hearing on the Golf Mill financing plan for Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. in village hall. It will listen to public comments on whether Golf Mill should be declared a  “blighted area" and whether it should become a business district under the state's Business District Act.