We are approaching an important anniversary in the village. The end of this year will mark a decade since the village board commissioned Jupiter Realty Company LLC, the developer who would build a new Pete’s Fresh Market. Pete’s was expected to yield $1.3M annually in sales and property tax revenue [1] and be completed by the end of 2021 [2]. It reflected a commitment by the then-board of trustees to reverse economic stagnation and attract business development, branding Oak Park “open for business.” It also signaled a fiscal policy to diversify municipal revenue and limit an over-reliance on property taxes.
Pete’s development began as planned, but it lost momentum in a series of extensions with no recourse for the village. When I joined the board in 2021, Pete’s was not close to completion and significant revenue was deferred. As the sole dissenter, I refused to approve further delays without a renegotiation of the contract. We eventually amended the contract to include a clawback provision as well as a monthly fee if Pete’s failed to meet a new deadline and open by February 2026. That deadline has passed and Pete’s is still not completed.
The village board is conspicuously silent on whether it intends to hold Pete’s accountable and exercise the new remedies. This is on par with the current board’s passive approach to business development. Despite engaging a consultant for a comprehensive village-wide economic vitality plan, the board still has not created such a plan.
Instead of developing a strategic vision for growth, the board has created a policy gap for our business community. Moreover, they rejected opportunities to support businesses with a failed mobile food truck ordinance and unfunded OPRF Chamber of Commerce programs in its 2026 budget.
While each board has the prerogative to set its own initiatives and create its own legacy, the interests of residents should be a shared goal across successive boards. Each month Pete’s remains unfinished represents lost revenue that could be used for small business grants, lead water line replacement, senior home repair assistance, sewer backup grants, and many other programs that benefit residents.
The board must hold Pete’s accountable under the renegotiated contract terms and fulfill its fiduciary duty by collecting the fees owed. Even if Oak Park is no longer open for business, our community is not a commodity and its future is not for sale.
[1] Oak Park Village President and Board of Trustees Meeting, Dec. 10, 2018, virtual meeting, https://www.oak-park.us
[2] S. Sheridan, “Madison Street Pete’s Pushing Opening Date Yet Again,” Wednesday Journal, Sept. 21, 2023, https://www.oakpark.com
Lucia Robinson is a former Oak Park village trustee.