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Chicago Tribune
2 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Homewood's Rabid Brewing finds new opportunities after losing out on plaza
Abbas Jaffary said Rabid Brewing is a space of healing and compares it to the American sitcom 'Cheers,' where regular customers check in on each other, and Rabid owner Raiye Rosado encourages people from every walk of life to show up, even if they don't buy anything. The brewery has become 'symbiotic' with the local roller derby league, said Jaffary, who has helped the league with administrative tasks for years. He said he often drives more than 20 miles to be involved with the league and brewery, which both collaborate on events and aim to provide an affordable, inclusive community space for members to 'regain their sanity if they had a terrible day at work or stuff going on at home.' Rosado said the hardest part about losing a bid in May to move her brewery into a village-owned space Park Plaza West was the potential loss of community space for the LGBTQ+ community and other 'folks that are othered in some other spaces.' But after the Village Board decision, Rosado said opportunities popped up for other locations for her business to expand its inclusive outreach. Rosado said in the next few months, Rabid Brewing will host more community events in potential new areas, essentially conducting a 'vibe check' to see if the business would fit in with the local customers. The brewery may move within 6 miles of its location in the next year, Rosado said. She looked at a possible space Tuesday. The derby league, called The Chicago Knockouts, is growing alongside the Brewery and has also found a few potential new spaces, Jaffary said. 'We've all just been coming together, just to look out for people and offer places to go,' Jaffary said. 'We need places to go just to have somewhere to center ourselves because people get isolated and when you find a community, you start to gain some sense of sanity and normalcy.' Rosado said the journey to expand started in 2023, when village officials approached her about redeveloping Park Plaza West on 183rd Street after she said her business, at 17759 Bretz Drive, had outgrown its backstreet building. But in May 2025, the village awarded the property to two commercial real estate groups instead. Village Manager Napoleon Haney said the board's decision boiled down to the ability to generate the funding necessary to make improvements, not only on the space that Rabid intended to use, but the remaining parts of the plaza, at 183rd Street and Robin Lane, including the parking lot. The village acquired the 183rd Street retail center in 2023 through Cook County's no-cash bid process. 'We worked with (Rabid) for a while trying to figure out ways for them to generate the financial wherewithal to be able to make all of that happen,' Haney said. 'But there are other spaces and places on that property that need desperate improvements as well, and that's heavy lifting for a smaller business.' The village's evaluation, presented at a board meeting in late May, concluded a proposal from Caton Commercial Real Estate and Granite Realty partners would better ensure sustainable commercial development, improve property conditions and maximize yield. Yet the village noted in its analysis that Rabid better responded to community needs than the real estate groups. More than 80 community members attended the May Village Board meeting to support Rabid's expansion, which Rosado and Haney both said speaks to Rabid being a safe gathering space. 'It's a scary thing to do what we did, and it's very scary to have it not turn out the way you want, but I highly recommend if you're going to do scary things, you get a huge group like that with you,' Rosado said. 'These people, they're not just drinking beer all day, they get together outside of my space,' Rosado said. She said she hung artwork instead of televisions in the bar to encourage the community members to engage with each other, which she said worked, noting that she's seen customers who met at the bar get married and even get tattoos of the business logo. 'They're really a part of each other's lives in a way that's different than I've seen at most other establishments,' she said. Tobias Cichon, who also owns Rabid Brewing, said the community's support has 'driven extraordinary interest from half a dozen other municipalities.' He looks forward with hope because he said the business has 'the greatest gift any business owner could hope for: a revelatory understanding of how much real love our people have for what we've built for them and with them.' 'We have only our people to thank for whatever good comes next,' Cichon said. Rabid Brewing plans to host its sixth annual event called the Feast of the Goat Queen on July 26, and Rosado said she is already planning next year's feast. Jaffary said he has fond memories of the festival, that it's 'just a good collection of people.' Recently, he said, the derby league and Rabid business communities walked and skated in Homewood's Fourth of July parade with customers of all ages. Both businesses have opportunities for children to participate, such as Rabid's weekly Dungeon and Dragons tournaments for children ages between 8 through 13.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Wilmette set to battle O'Hare airplane noise by joining commission
The village of Wilmette is looking to become the 61st member of the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission, an intergovernmental group focused on lessening the impact of aircraft noise on residential areas and schools. The Village Board adopted an intergovernmental agreement with the ONCC on June 24 in its bid to become a sitting member on the commission. The full membership must still vote to approve the addition of Wilmette. Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman said complaints from residents regarding increased traffic and noise from O'Hare aircraft prompted consideration of the village joining the ONCC. Residents have also objected to noise from Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling due to new flight approaches, Braiman said. 'Over the past 12 to 14 months, we have received hundreds of noise complaints, the vast majority of which were related to Chicago Executive Airport, but we also saw an increasing number of complaints we hadn't seen before regarding O'Hare traffic,' he said. These complaints involved planes that could be seen lined up over Lake Michigan, waiting to land at O'Hare, largely in the late afternoon and early evening hours, Braiman said. Joining the ONCC will allow Wilmette officials to advocate for residents and become better educated about flight patterns and changes at the airport, he explained. 'I think there's a lot of value in having a seat at the table and ensuring our residents' concerns have an outlet,' he told the Village Board. Formed in 1996, the ONCC's mission is to reduce the impact of aircraft noise through residential and school soundproofing measures and by advocating for quieter aircraft regulations, explained Maura El Metennani, executive director of the ONCC, during her presentation to the Wilmette Village Board on June 10. There are currently 60 members, consisting of 34 municipalities, 18 school districts, six Chicago wards and two counties. Meeting monthly, the commission works collaboratively with agencies like the FAA, as well as aviation experts and community leaders. It also oversees the Fly Quiet Program, which is a recommendation to airline pilots to use specified nighttime runways and flight routes to reduce noise. There is no cost to members to join the commission. Homes and schools qualify for soundproofing based on the current noise contour map, which depicts areas of noise intensity and was created using data collected by dozens of noise monitors located in communities around the airport. Based on the current map, Wilmette homes and schools would not benefit from the sound insulation program, El Metennani said. Wilmette Trustee Michael Lieber acknowledged that the village does not have the same problems with O'Hare noise that communities closer to the airport have, and questioned how the village might be received as a member of the ONCC. 'Do other members of the commission …. want a community that is further away from O'Hare as a member?' he asked, suggesting that more impacted municipalities may wonder 'Wilmette, what are you complaining about?' El Metennani noted that Wilmette wouldn't be the only suburb 'on the outskirts' of O'Hare to have a seat at the table, pointing to northwest suburban South Barrington and west suburban Hinsdale as examples. 'It hasn't been an issue in the past that I'm aware of,' she said. 'We're all working toward the same thing.' As for noise complaints related to the smaller Chicago Executive Airport, which is located 11 miles from downtown Wilmette, the communities of Wilmette, Evanston and Glenview have submitted recommendations to the FAA for alternate flight paths and are awaiting a response, Braiman said.
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
State grant to fuel improvements at 55th Street and Western Avenue in Clarendon Hills
Clarendon Hills has been approved for a $1 million legislative grant for planned intersection improvements at 55th Street and Western Avenue. The state grant was garnered with support from state Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-24th, and state Rep. Martha Deuter, D-45th, according to Clarendon Hills Village President Eric Tech. 'Staff is working diligently with DuPage County to get the residents south of 55th Street safe access to the north side of town,' he said. Village Manager Zach Creer said there is documented desire for improving this intersection, going back to the South of 55th Subarea Plan adopted in November 2017. He said a 2022 development proposal for a Dunkin Donuts, which was voted down by the Village Board after numerous residents expressed opposition, refocused interest in the intersection. He said a tax increment financing district was established last year 'as a way to find a funding source for the intersection improvements.' 'The intersection has a lot of car crashes,' Creer said. 'It is a long distance between pedestrian crossings, and this area should be connected to the rest of the town. It's still easily within walking distance of the train station and downtown.' Creer said there have been 18 vehicle crashes at the intersection between 2019 and 2024. A major component of intersection improvements sought by the village is the addition of a traffic signal. 'The Dunkin Donuts proposal was rejected, in part, due to concerns about children trying to cross there without a signal,' Creer said. He said approval would be needed from DuPage County to add a traffic signal at the intersection. 'The warrants for a stop signal upgrade require a certain amount of traffic and a certain amount of crashes,' Creer said. 'In order to justify the warrants for a signal, additional traffic needs to be anticipated.' He said the $1 million grant from the state could take up to a few years to receive, and the village likely would use TIF funds to make up the difference between the grant money and any additional costs. The total anticipated cost of the project is design dependent, Creer said, with a basic traffic signal expected to cost upward of $1 million. 'However, adding lanes or straightening the road could be extremely expensive,' he said. 'It's somewhat development dependent. In order to justify the warrants for a signal, additional traffic needs to be anticipated from the redevelopment of the Tracy's Tavern site (at the southwest edge of the intersection). The village has continued to seek a developer for the former Tracy's Tavern site. 'The last development proposal for a daycare seems to be on pause,' Creer said. 'No new proposal has come forward. If the intersection improvement was unable to move forward, then the money could be repurposed to another village project. The grant is not dependent on any development.' A new two-townhouse development has been approved by the village for an empty lot at 5740 Concord Lane, about a mile and a half from the 55th Street/Western Avenue intersection. Community Development Director Ed Cage said the property is approximately 0.20 acres and is adjacent to a similar property developed in unincorporated DuPage County. Estimated costs for the completed townhomes will be between $300,000 and $400,000, depending on upgrades and options, he said.
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Dolton buying Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in village, price uncertain
Dolton officials are moving ahead with plans to buy Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in the village, hoping to snap up the modest brick home that has gained international attention ahead of a planned auction. The Village Board at a special meeting Tuesday voted unanimously to move forward on buying the house at 212 East 141st Place, and said there are plans to buy an adjacent home. Mayor Jason House told reporters after the meeting he hoped the village could close on the purchase in a couple of weeks, but that the final purchase price is still up in the air. House said that the chance to buy the home is a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' and a 'historic movement moving forward' for Dolton. 'We can either seize the moment and move it forward or we can let that moment to go an investor,' House told the audience. An auction of the home by New York-based Paramount Realty USA is scheduled to close by 4 p.m. Chicago time July 17, according to Paramount's website. A reserve price of $250,000 is set for the home. The auction was to close last month but was extended. A resident filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the village from using taxpayer funds to buy the home, but a judge recently said Dolton could proceed with plans to secure the property through its current owner. Robert Francis Prevost lived with his parents and sibilings for many years in the home, and it's become a tourist destination since his election as pope. Dolton has had to have police regularly patrol the neighborhood. Before the Village Board vote, residents said they were concerned about the money being spent considering the village's financial condition, with a massive backlog of unpaid bills and streets that are in poor condition because the funds are not there to repair them. The Rev. Ryan Reese, a village resident and pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansing, said board members 'have a difficult situation figuring our the finances of the community' and that 'we need to make sure the funding (the village has) is spent wisely.' Reese said there are numerous infrastructure issues facing the village, such as the condition of streets. 'I'm not sure this is the first priority,' he told trustees before the vote. Resident Mary Avent, recently elected as a trustee in Thornton Township, said that she too is concerned about the state of village finances and not just the initial outlay for the home but also ongoing maintenance costs. 'With the state we're in, my concern is, do we have the money?' she asked. Prevost lived in the home from his birth in 1955, and his parents lived there until they sold it in 1996.
Chicago Tribune
30-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Oswego trustees look at criteria for downtown grant program
Oswego trustees as a committee of the whole recently discussed the eligibility criteria for the Economic Development Incentive Award grant program in the village. The program has undergone revisions from involving facade improvement grants to include various other upgrades over the years. The grant program was last updated in 2018 to permit additional types of improvements. So far this year, $100,000 in grants have been awarded. 'The overall intent is to enhance downtown real estate,' Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said in a report to trustees. The program essentially awards grants to businesses as an incentive for exterior improvements to enhance the village's downtown but also permits some interior renovation projects. Eligible applicants can qualify for up to a $40,000 match-based award for a new or existing business within Oswego's downtown TIF district, village officials said. Based on the eligibility and program criteria, applicants must 'contribute to and enhance Oswego's dynamic downtown' by identifying 'real property improvements that are permanently affixed to the property,' Leighty said. There's a list of downtown preferred uses, such as eating and drinking establishments, specialty food establishments, general retail and commercial services, he said. There's another list of preferred projects that include exterior improvements to buildings that would enhance Oswego's downtown appearance as well as basic functional improvements. The Village Board earlier this year began to discuss the eligibility and criteria for the program before authorizing a second round of grants. Functional-related building improvement grants were awarded but the village began to receive requests for maintenance-related projects such as improving parking lots and painting a building, village officials said. 'There was some misunderstanding from applicants as to why those types of improvements were not allowed,' Leighty said. Staff initially presented the current eligibility criteria to the village's Economic Development Commission to provide some feedback to the Village Board as to whether parking lots and painting projects should be included for funding through the grant program. The commission 'understood the most important part of the program is to enhance the quality of real estate, but some consideration should be given to general beautification including some maintenance items,' Leighty told trustees. While the group did advocate for parking lot and painting projects to be included in the grant program, commissioners suggested the village consider placing a cap on that component, he said. The commission further suggested the village provide a list of examples for eligible and ineligible expenses to ensure that prospective applicants in the future have an understanding of how much funding they may qualify for. Commission members were not advocates for roof replacements which currently is a permissible expense under the program, Leighty said. Staff was looking for direction as to whether the Village Board would be supportive of having a list of partially eligible projects – mainly landscaping, masonry work, exterior painting, parking lot improvements and window/door repair or replacements. Staff has suggested a $5,000 cap on partially eligible projects. Trustees said they thought masonry, exterior painting and window/door repair or replacements should be moved under the eligible list of projects, while roof repairs would be listed under a partially eligible list. 'Those things were allowed under the original facade grant program. It makes sense to put those back in there,' Oswego Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said. 'When this first started, it was more about old Main Street and how the village could help keep the older buildings looking good and last for a long time,' Di Santo said. As for need, the village does require a detailed project budget and quotes from contractors plus a detailed project timeline, Leighty said. 'We don't allow them to start the work until they have received grant approval. There is some component of need,' Leighty said. Businesses also have to submit paid invoices before the village remits payment, he said. Trustee Karin McCarthy-Lange noted there weren't a whole lot of applications when the program focused on building facade improvements. 'Even when we opened the program beyond building facades in 2018, we still had years where no one applied,' Di Santo said. Di Santo praised staff for 'selling the program to prospective business owners and existing business owners.' 'It's a more recent thing that people are applying,' Di Santo said.
