Economic development deserves funding, ideas for the entire village

When the Village Board votes tonight on the 2016 budget, it will approve $100,000 to study economic development along the Lake-Cook Road and Prairie View corridors.

                It’s important to note that these are corridors.  Plural.  More than one.  The expenditure is part of the proposed 2016 budget (2016 Budget) which was discussed at length at the Board’s Nov. 16 meeting, and calls for the study to be completed by Dec. 31, 2016.

                The study represents a concerted effort by the village to address comprehensive economic development, not just one spot in the village.  The Lake-Cook corridor runs from Arlington Heights Road to Milwaukee Avenue.  No single area has been singled out, nor has a developer or proposal been identified.

                The Prairie View corridor is the vicinity of the Prairie View METRA station and does not call for additional annexation of residential areas that may be in unincorporated Vernon Twp.

                Pundits are likely to do one of several things.  The first may be to chide the village for not being transparent.  The budget has been available on the village’s web site (as noted by the link above).  The village also hosted an Economic Development Open House from 5 to 7 last Wednesday.

                Despite its rather unusual timing, village staff, led by Community Development Director Chris Stilling did more than just a “nice job” presenting the village’s progress and plans for economic development.

                But how many of the 30 or so residents who attended did more than listen. How many heard?

                Economic development entails more than attracting retail businesses.  An estimated 20,000 people work in Buffalo Grove each day. They range from attorneys to the ever-popular sushi chefs, warehouse workers, health care workers and educators among others who call Buffalo Grove their professional home.  Stilling estimates that 90 percent of those who work in Buffalo Grove, live elsewhere.  While this represents a potential market segment, appealing to the workforce in Buffalo Grove is not the only target.  In fact, it would be interesting to see how Buffalo Grove’s numbers compare to other communities.

                Addressing the Buffalo Grove-based workforce is one aspect of the Economic Development plan that will be presented to, and hopefully discussed, by the Village Board at its Dec. 21 meeting.  The plan is available at Economic Development Plan.

                The fact that the plan is so readily available would, you would think and hope, alleviate accusations of lack of transparency and, you would hope, foster discussions directly to economic development. 

                Have more METRA trains, and the Weiland Road extension are not part of the Economic Development plan. Of course, two words that emerge with any discussion about economic development are Town Center.

                While the center is in a prime location, the village does not own it.

                The village cannot redesign it.

                The village cannot fill the vacancies.

                The village can, however, work with management of, not only Town Center, but other retail and commercial developments in attracting prospective businesses to the village, but the village is not a landlord.  Period.

                The Economic Development plan identifies, Stilling says, sites to be considered for potential development.  Village Planner Nicole Woods also noted that there are a variety of tools available in the plan, such as Tax Increment Financing.  However, it was made quite clear that no TIF districts have been identified or approved.

                While last week’s turnout was admirable, especially given the early time, most of those attending seem to be content on rhetoric that has been previously heard around the village – as in the last election.

                Beverly Sussman and Dave Weidenfeld were elected via the “Save Buffalo Grove Now” effort on the premise that the village needs to maintain green space, an effort fueled by the proposed effort to develop much of the Buffalo Grove Golf Course by CRM properties. That proposal is gone.  The need for economic development is not.

                Stilling and the rest of the village staff have been working doggedly to get things moving, which appears to be the case.

                However, if you gauge the movement by what activities at public meetings, you may wonder.  Last week’s meeting, while seemingly well attended, included many of the same folks who have voice the same arguments before.  Many of the attendees are longtime village residents who are resistant to change.  A prevailing attitude seems to be that Buffalo Grove is a bedroom community and that’s what it should remain.

                Both Weidenfeld and Sussman attended the meeting and neither contributed to the discussion.  Let’s cut Weidenfeld some slack because he’s still the new kid on the block.  Sort of.

                Sussman, however, touted the need for business development, an economic development website etc.  As a former small business owner, and now Village President, you’d think she would be at the forefront of the movement.

                Apparently not.  Sussman sat toward the back of the meeting last Wednesday and did not say a word on behalf of staff efforts, or her vision for economic and community development.

                And while the dialogue between residents and staff was good, much of what was presented were ideas flowing from the same recipes for leftovers.

                The Village Manager’s office staff, from Village Manager Dane Bragg on down appears to have things in focus.  Perfect?  Nothing is perfect.

                The constant allegations that the village does nothing, and repetitive whining that the village can’t change, has run its course.  The $100,000 earmarked for studying economic development corridors is money well spent.

                Even if it means changes in the village, like development of a downtown.

                Oh wait, I’m sorry.  At least week’s meeting the term “downtown” was replaced with the phrase “focal point.”

                Why?  My guess is to keep Buffalo Grove the same and not rattle the Geritol bottles of those resistant to change.

                Petula Clark would be devastated.

                Just imagine what it would be like if the NFL adopted a similar ideology.

                No longer would Joe Montana, Bart Starr, Tom Brady, John Elway, Brett Favre, Roger Staubach be known as Super Bowl quarterbacks, but as “Focal Points”.

                Call them what you want – the results were the same.

                Not because of what they were called, but because of a game plan.

                The village is moving in that direction.  Staff is working on a game plan that addresses the game as it is played now.

                It’s time to look at next week’s game and not last year’s loss.