After many months of ironing out the details, ensuring the structure of the Taylor Street building was sound, the Taylor Street TIF finally was approved by the Grant Park Village Board.
The two-story historical building is being renovated by Andrea Hendricks, with Griffin Gate Farms. Once the updates are complete, the multi-use building will feature four apartments upstairs and a first-floor laundromat, providing customers with an enjoyable area that includes gaming, pool tables, and a small bar. The four apartments have been rented as of June 1.
Griffin Gate Farms already has completed many of the interior renovations but sought the TIF financing to complete exterior masonry work and finish interior work. The bar, laundromat, and gaming will all create taxable revenue.
Village Beautification Underway, Streetscape Project to Begin Early Fall
The weeds near the police department, which were brought up at the previous meeting by Trustee Steve Brower, have been addressed. Additionally, some parkway trees that were dead and needed to come down were slated to be removed.
The Leaf Dragon machine, which was approved at the last meeting, was picked up by the village. It will be used for curbside leaf vacuuming during fall cleanups.
“What we’re trying to do is just to show pride in our community, by – if you have weeds in front of your business or your property – clean them up. I can’t ask the person next door to clean up theirs unless everybody does it,” Village President Ben Detloff said.
Detloff also reported he has been in contact with Village Engineer Neil Piggush regarding the streetscape project, which is anticipated to begin once the gas company relocates the line on Taylor Street, likely late summer or early fall.
The village also approved a resolution allocating $252,000 from the motor fuel tax fund for improvements along Illinois 17 and downtown cross streets, specifically for the streetscape project.
Trustee Gerry Morgan reported he visited the Pepin property, which is awaiting an appraisal so the property can be sold, and he noted several antiques and salvageable items, such as filing cabinets, were on site. Morgan joked there was only one dead body that he found, and Trustee Susie Wiedl asked him to clarify it was an animal, which he did.
Morgan also brought up selling the items and/or donating some of them to the historical society for consideration, which the historical society would like to take if they had space to store it.
Rental Agreement Reboot
The streamlined rental agreement that seemingly was established at a previous meeting, then repealed for a user, appears to now be re-drafted by the attorney.
Trustee Julie Quinn reported she spoke with the Village of Manteno about how they handled community rentals. One of the important takeaways was that they stressed assessing resident and non-resident fees. She would like to schedule a committee meeting to iron out the details, noting she was aware this had been discussed before.
Detloff also reviewed a draft of the agreement prepared by the village attorney and reiterated they needed to be fair and follow the provisions outlined in the agreement.
“I’m going to tell you, just like I said at the first meeting, this is not open for debate. If you want to debate, you can certainly have it, but I’m going to bring up a couple things,” Detloff affirmed, noting that people need to follow the rules. He said many times, they hadn’t been followed, especially regarding liquor licenses and insurance.
He reviewed the important stipulations, such as documentation of residency and non-profit status, as well as the reasons behind their importance. He explained that when people don’t pay the full amount or follow the rules, they are “cheating the village,” because those fees pay for the upkeep of the building.
Other News
The village renewed its contract with the Beecher EMA, which they did through an IGA that included donating the Grant Park Police Department’s old 2006 Ford Expedition for their use. Beecher’s EMA services help with emergency and public safety services on an as-needed basis, primarily for special events or as required by an emergency.
The board discussed whether they wanted to have a contracted animal control pickup for $1,000 per year, only for dogs, with the Kankakee County Animal Control, or whether they wanted to pay for each instance. Detloff reviewed the costs from the past few years, and the board ultimately decided to utilize their services on an individual basis.
Additionally, Surf Internet is waiting for a permit sign-off from IDOT because most of the internet lines are in IDOT right-of-way. Once they have that, the internet will be available.
Upcoming Events
Fall Fest preparations are underway. Brower reported he has worked to secure sponsors for the Dixieland Band and photo ops with Spiderman and Paw Patrol for the kids. These will need to be approved at the next meeting, but will incur no cost to the village due to the sponsorships.
Two golf outings are coming up this fall, with the Christmas Inc. Christmas Golf on September 17 and the Grant Park Historical Society’s outing scheduled for September 20. Both organizations are taking registrations for golfers and event sponsors.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.