Oak Park moving backwards with latest economic development strategy

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012 10:00 PM

Oak Park's village government continues its economic development strategy in full backwards mode with its appointment last week of a committee to oversee planning for new streetscaping along Lake Street in the newly christened Downtown Districts.

What's backwards? Let's see: The committee is designated to work with a consulting firm — a very good one, we'd note — that was hired in a misguided $100,000-plus Hail Mary to obtain a multimillion-dollar federal grant. So we got the bill for the consultant but we didn't get the grant that would have paid for the streetscaping.

Backwards.

What direction are we giving the committee? To replicate the excesses of Marion Street that we can never possibly afford to repeat? Or to create a much-scaled-back model that might work both on Lake Street and on Oak Park Avenue near Lake? Actually the board didn't offer much direction, though it did require that the committee report back at reasonable intervals. That's something.

Since the village has no plausible source of money to pay for the streetscaping upgrades at either modest or grand stratas, we'd call this backwards, too.

Reader Comments

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Is the really MORE backwards? from OP

Posted: July 14th, 2012 8:55 AM

How is this any more backwards than any of several recent stupid moves by the Village Board? I mean, calling this stupidity out among all of the other stupidity almost seems unfair, WJ! Let's take a walk down stupid memory lane....Whiteco, Sertus, purchase of the Colt Building, brick pavers, endorsing housing project on Madison st., TIF lawsuits/arbitration wasting tax dollars, mismanagement of Arts District, unnecessary repairs at Village Hall....man, that's just the past 18 months. Sad.

paul from oak park

Posted: July 12th, 2012 9:55 PM

Where's the street sweeper?

OPRFDad

Posted: July 12th, 2012 5:28 PM

The Village lacks a clear set of priorities focusing on serving the populous. Roads, schools, police, fire, sewers and snow removal. Most else is window dressing. And there is a mistaken belief that spending should continue unabated and that the "glory days" will once again return. Newsflash: that's not happening ... ever. The demographics of the country won't support it. So, wake up to reality and live within your means, including stopping the dependence on excessive spending.

Unfortunately

Posted: July 12th, 2012 3:51 PM

Hey, but at least they're going somewhere - fast!!! I personally like many members of the board and believe that they are good people. However, they have fallen for the all-too-common "build it and they will come" and "it's not our money and look at the neat things we can do with it!" mentality. With them is D97 since they won the ref - FastForward, IB, millions for playgrounds, etc. Throw in Park District and their efforts to single-handedly end the recession with multi-million $$$ projects.

Enuf is Enuf from Oak Park

Posted: July 12th, 2012 2:02 PM

Yes, the village board's approach is backwards ... again. It was backwards when buildings were demolished at Lake & Forest before project financing was guaranteed by Sertus, resulting in the current weed patch. It was backwards when redevelopment agreements with developers (Whiteco, Sertus) were completed before issuing a request for proposals, resulting in no interest from other developers. Why have a well paid Village Planner if the board insists on doing things backwards?

John Butch Murtagh from Oak Park, Illinois Facebook Verified

Posted: July 12th, 2012 10:42 AM

OP Board need to take a moratorium on spending money on all development projects until a rationale plan with a clear financial strategy is completed and reviewed in public by village citizens.

Observer

Posted: July 12th, 2012 8:35 AM

I am surprised, okay not really, that the WJ would expect anything more from the OP Village Board. They have a preset agenda and they just need to get committees and consultants to agree with their ideas. This is no different from what they did with Whiteco, Colt, Westgate, opening Marion Street, adding brick pavers, heated sidewalks, etc, etc. None of these ideas proved financially prudent use of taxpayer dollars. After all, the TIF is over $20m in debt and climbing.

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