Economic Development & Neighborhood Renewal

COMMISSION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & NEIGHBORHOOD RENEWAL MEETING MINUTES January 30, 2014 Persons in attendance: Executive Committee: Chuck Ostman – Executive Director Ross Klicker – Associate Executive Director Mayor Andrew Przybylo Joe Bialko Mike Shields Steve Vinezeano Cathy Spadoni – Secretary Stakeholders: Ilir Ademaj Alberto DeCicco Iwona Filipiak Julie Genualdi Michael Kim Sunghae Kim Paul Kolpak Brandon Leavitt Rich Mangold Joe Marcheschi Denise McCreery Barry Mueller Anthony Ori Vicki Peake Katie Schneider Lynda Stoops Rich Wlodarski I. Call to Order Chuck Ostman called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Village of Niles Administration Building. II. Welcome and Introductions Mr. Ostman welcomed all committee members and asked everyone to introduce him/herself. Ross Klicker stated that all executive committee members and stakeholders must take Open Meetings Act training. He asked that training be completed by the next meeting; certificates of completion should be sent to Secretary Spadoni for filing in the Village Clerk’s office. Information regarding mandatory Ethics training will be forthcoming. III. Defining Economic Development and Neighborhood Renewal Mayor Andrew Przybylo commented that the foundation of the Economic Development and Neighborhood Renewal Commission is the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and the new zoning ordinance which will use form-based zoning. Until now, these efforts have been handled by  Economic Development/Neighborhood Renewal January 30, 2014 staff members. This commission will allow the stakeholders to offer practical insights regarding businesses and neighborhoods based on their experiences. They will be asked to review the plans and make suggestions that will be reported to the Board of Trustees. Mayor Przybylo explained the mission, member structure, meeting schedule and general procedures of the Commission. He suggested sending information to the stakeholders via email prior to the meetings. Regarding economic development, Chuck Ostman stated that activity in Niles for 2013 has been very active. The value of construction for 2013 is up over 100% from 2012; we expect 2014 to be just as strong. In the retail and manufacturing/industrial sectors, vacancy rates are very low when compared to neighboring communities. Ross Klicker stated that the definition of “economic development” is: the sustained, concerted actions of policy makers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area. This translates to the Village of Niles in the form of the following goals: 1) ten years from now Milwaukee Avenue from Albion to Golf will be unrecognizable; and 2) Touhy Avenue from Caldwell to Lehigh will be remarkably different. These are two of the goals that this commission will be working toward. This commission will also look at promotion, celebration and recognition. Special events to celebrate our successes and highlight our diversity will create a stronger mix for our business community and make Niles a place that people not only want to live and shop in but also bring their businesses to. “Neighborhood renewal” focuses on the community aspects rather than economic aspects, and attempts to improve physical conditions so that property values remain high and crime and other social pathologies remain low. Community events are one way to accomplish this, by connecting our new residents, especially those from other countries, with the community. Improved signage and streetscapes are another way, by making the environment inviting and friendly. The definitions of “economic development” and “neighborhood renewal” will change and evolve as we go forward. We need to make sure that these concepts change and evolve over time so we can make Niles an even better place to live. IV. 2030 Comprehensive Plan Mike Shields stated that the Niles 2030 Comprehensive Plan is to serve as a vision and guide for our community as we look into the future. He outlined the Plan’s eleven major vision elements and explained that the job of this commission is to overlay the views and experiences of the stakeholders on the vision elements of the Plan. He encouraged the stakeholders to review the Plan. 2  Economic Development/Neighborhood Renewal January 30, 2014 Ross Klicker added that by emphasizing the importance of the Touhy Corridor, the 2030 Comprehensive Plan was a guiding force behind Costco’s decision to not only stay in Niles but to expand as well. V. Items for General Discussion This commission is not just about plans for the future but about things that will have immediate impact for the residents and businesses. Stakeholders are encouraged to give input, feedback and advice so that, with staff, we can put forth the best effort, move in the right direction, fine tune the plans and bring them to reality. a) Dine-in Program The Dine-In Program began three years ago and offered a 10% discount at participating restaurants using a card that was distributed via the Focus On Niles newsletter. In order to keep the program fresh, it was changed to a temporary program where patrons could download offers from the Village website or pick up offers at Village facilities. Restaurants are invited to participate in this short-term program through direct mail and email. The benefits to the restaurants include: there are no third-party fees that the Village collects; each restaurant can choose its level of participation; a restaurant can change or cancel its offer at the end of the period. The benefits to the Village include: it drives traffic to our website; it not only allows our residents to participate, but also visitors to Niles and employees that live in Niles; it encourages our residents to give these offers as gifts; the program can be tracked. A drawback is that it does require the use of technology or a trip to a Village facility. The stakeholders were invited to give input: - Mail a quarterly postcard with a QR scan code for those who easily use technology. - Use the technology to provide analytical information to track the program in order to provide specific incentives. The Village has started an electronic newsletter that is distributed to businesses. The Niles Chamber of Commerce is promoting the program through their Chamber Guide, which will be distributed to local hotels so guests will be enticed to dine in Niles. If success continues, this kind of program can eventually be offered to the retail market. This program is tied to the 2030 Comprehensive Plan in that we are trying to increase our sales tax base. Our goal is to encourage more people to dine and shop in Niles and to think of Niles first for their purchases – whether restaurant, services or retail. After comparing the benefits and drawbacks, staff concluded that we will continue this program using the recent Holiday Dine-In model – a quarterly, short-term offer that will be promoted in the Village newsletter and website. There were no objections from the group. 3  Economic Development/Neighborhood Renewal January 30, 2014 b) Milwaukee Avenue Study Bruce Sylvester, Village of Niles Senior Planner and head of the Milwaukee Avenue Study and the zoning code rewrite, stated that the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor is the backbone of Niles – 5 miles right through the center of the community – and is what gives Niles its identity. The Niles 2030 Comprehensive Plan makes the improvement of this corridor a very high priority. To accomplish this, the Village has hired Camiros, a planning consulting firm. He distributed two reports – Camiros Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Land Use & Development Scenarios and Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Review / Working Session – and briefly reviewed each. These reports include the five guiding principles for reimagining the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor and give visual ideas to base our discussions on for the look and feel of Milwaukee Avenue. He asked the stakeholders to review these reports in preparation for the next meeting when we will discuss redevelopment, density, building height and placement, parking placement, building facades, public art, etc. with the consultants. Ross Klicker stated that the type of zoning that Niles will be implementing is “form- based” zoning, which will set the guidelines for the kind of development we want to see in the community. This is a pro-active approach to zoning that tells the developer “this is what we want; you comply to us.” He showed slides of the “new urbanism” on display in Arlington Heights. Stakeholders were asked to think about what they like and don’t like about developments in neighboring areas. Mayor Przybylo suggested a Saturday morning bus ride to areas that best exemplify different building, streetscape and landscape features. Ross Klicker spoke of an exciting opportunity for Niles. Pace bus route 270 runs on Milwaukee Avenue from Jefferson Park to Golf Mill. Pace is going to supplement that route with the first-ever, arterial rapid transit line that will run as if it were a train – with limited stops at specific stations. This will allow us to be pro-active by predetermining what kind of buildings we want near the station sites and will allow people to live, shop and work with easy access to transportation. c) Touhy Avenue Study Ross Klicker stated that the Mayor has declared the Touhy Avenue Corridor as the Economic Development & Arts and Cultural Corridor for Niles. This area, known as the “Touhy Triangle,” runs from Touhy at Caldwell to Lehigh, to Gross Point, and back to Caldwell at Touhy and is currently home to Costco, Target, the Leaning Tower, and the YMCA. This area can be developed and enhanced so that it will be better for the community and the region. A draft of the Market Study: Touhy Triangle by Houseal Lavigne & Associates was distributed to the stakeholders. This study asks the question: What are the strengths and weaknesses of this corridor? The answer will help us carefully plan for additional retail that is appropriate for the community and the region and that does not negatively impact our existing retail. The conclusion of this report is that there is a potential for growth, but we need to be cautious and pro-active when approaching retailers and when working with developers who will help us achieve our goals. 4  Economic Development/Neighborhood Renewal January 30, 2014 Stakeholders were asked to think about what would make Touhy a better place to be, i.e. cultural or entertainment elements; their feedback will be important to the Sub Area Plan, the second phase of the study. It was noted that Niles is a long, thin community. What works on Touhy may not work on Golf. What works on Milwaukee may not work on Touhy. There is not one solution for the entire community. The Touhy Corridor will be a regional draw; the Milwaukee Corridor is our front door. We have to approach each corridor differently and find different solutions. d) Entrance and Roadway Signage Plan Ross Klicker stated that signage and identity are very important to neighborhood renewal. Historically, signage in Niles has not been cohesive; there are different styles and types of community signs and different variations of street signs used throughout the Village. The Village needs cohesive signage – major gateway signs, neighborhood identification signs, way-finding signs – that will foster a positive community identity. He distributed a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) to have a firm develop a Comprehensive Entrance and Roadway Signage Plan for the Village. On a show of hands, all agreed to send this RFP to the Board of Trustees. The Village Board previously approved an RFP to retain the services of a consulting firm to develop a new brand and logo for the Village, which is a priority goal of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan. We need to have a logo that we can be proud of and that can be marketed to the outside world. ***** Ross Klicker tested a new, electronic polling system that allows for instant polling. VI. Open Discussion None. VII. Agenda Items for Next Meeting The Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Study will be discussed at the next meeting. VIII. Next Meeting Date Monday, March 17, 2014 – 4:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers. VII. Adjournment There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting adjourned at 6:35 p.m. 5  Economic Development/Neighborhood Renewal January 30, 2014 2013-2014 Ad Hoc Commission for Economic Development & Neighborhood Renewal Executive Committee Members Administrative Officers Members Chuck Ostman – Executive Director Steven Vinezeano – Village Manager Ross Klicker – Assoc Executive Director Joe Bialko – resident Cathy Spadoni – Secretary Mike Shields – resident Alan Zielinski - resident Ex Officio Members Mayor Andrew Przybylo Trustee Joe LoVerde 6