At the exact time Palos Heights Mayor Bob Straz was giving his State of the City Address on Feb. 24, workers were taking down signage at the recently closed Wendy’s.
That was appropriate because whenever he does these deep dives on the city, Straz usually blocks off a section of his speech to announce the comings and goings of businesses in the community of 12,000.
Yes, Wendy’s is closing as the company is shuttering between 300-600 of its restaurants in the United States, according to various reports.
But Straz also announced that a Culver’s restaurant will be coming to the site of the CIBC Banking Center at 11850 South Harlem and could be opening this summer.
Straz spoke at the event hosted by the Palos Chamber of Commerce at the Palos Heights Recreation Center and was upbeat, but realistic.
“We have some potential problems but it’s something we have to deal with,” Straz said. “We’re fortunate that we have good reserves. We don’t overtax – we have one of the lower tax rates in the Southwest suburbs.
“We have some of the best services and we have an image that I think you will feel comfortable with.”
One big closure that rocked the city came in November when Trinity Christian College announced it would close after the 2025-26 school year.
At this point, the city doesn’t have any control over what happens to that site until a new buyer submits zoning requests.
“It’s a disappointment that they are going to close,” Straz said of Trinity. “They’ve been around for numerous years. These schools are having a hard time right now.
“We have to look at alternative uses for the school. Information is not coming out as to what they are going to be doing with it.”
Straz said he attended St. Joseph’s College in Indiana, which closed in 2017 and it was a tough ordeal for those involved.
Straz, however, does see a potential silver lining for the city.
“It could be a very positive thing,” he said. “We could get some housing developments. Who knows what we could get? It could be a recreational area. It could be a mixed-use area for a lot of different things.”
He also points out that TCC was a nonprofit entity and did not pay sales tax. A new venture on the 130-acre site could bring in plenty of new tax money for the city.
Another tradition for Straz during his yearly speech is to give an update on Pete’s Fresh Market moving into the shuttered Dominick’s site at 6401 W. 127th St. Dominick’s has been closed since 2013 and in recent years, the possibility of Pete’s moving in has been a fluid situation.
“I wish I could tell you more – it’s a frustrating thing,” Straz said. “Twelve years ago, we met with the principals from Pete’s and they told us then we wanted to be here.
“I heard this frustration from other towns, too – Oak Park and New Lenox.”
Straz said he planned on attending a March 6 meeting to find out Pete’s latest plans.
Despite the usual hiccups that cities and villages face, Straz says Palos Heights is still a great community.
“You can’t ask for a better town,” he said. “People want to live here.”