Berwyn: Redevelopment at Harlem & Cermak? (Cicero, Oak Park: mortgage, property taxes, condos)

[bearkat]

I moved to Berwyn 3 years ago and have yet to see the commercial development my realtor told me was going to occur. It seems like there is so much potential for Berwyn - why isn't there more retail, etc. moving in? The Depot district has so much potential as well.

Whats the deal with the old bank building at Oak Park and Cermak? I know an Applebee's was supposed to be there, but that fell through. Now what?

I heard that the "spindle" was being torn down and Cermak Plaza was getting an overhall. That would be great, since it seems like there's a lot of parking spaces that are going to waste. Is that going to happen?

It seems N. Riverside is getting a Chili's across the street. There's so much development on the Oak Park side of Roosevelt. Why isn't there development in Berwyn?

I spoke to one long time resident who said town like Elmhurt, LaGrange and Oak Park have the cute downtowns because the residents are more affluent in general. Here in Berwyn most people are just "getting by". I'm not sure if that's so true. What do you think?

[sukwoo]

Paging BRU67...

[BRU67]

Heh, since when did I become the Crown Prince of Berwyn? See below for your answer on Oak Park/Cermak.

As to "just getting by," I don't know, my wife and I do just fine, and will more than gladly patronize any upscale retail or restaurants that any folks care to open in town. As of now, a good chunk of that disposable income gets spent in Oak Park, Forest Park and the City. I just think there's a tendency to latch on to one group of people and oversimplify and say it defines the whole community. There are plenty of moderate income Latino families who live here who aren't likely falling all over themselves to blow their limited earnings at the latest hip Tunisian restaurant. But there are also plenty of educated professionals who live here who like the location and interesting housing stock but would just as soon build wealth and invest in additonal properties than spend $8,000/month on mortgage and property taxes on one of the Forum's darlings.

Like anything, you have to look at the overall picture and not stereotype. Personally, I too think Berwyn has plenty of potential and will eventually gentrify. The number of professionals seems to be increasing as time goes on. For now, I'm fine living here. In some ways, I like the fact that it's not overcommercialized.

_____________________

SUPERBLOCK REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT APPROVED BY BERWYN CITY COUNCIL

Berwyn, Ill – With support from the Berwyn Development Corporation, the Berwyn City Council unanimously approved the Superblock redevelopment agreement on Tuesday, February 12th. Superblock, also known as the historic Berwyn National Bank Building, is located on the corner of Cermak Road and Oak Park Avenue. The approval allows for the renovation and construction work of the site to begin.

The renovation of the Berwyn National Bank Building is estimated to begin in the Fall of 2008 with an expected completion date in the Spring or Summer of 2009. Construction of new mixed use building adjacent to the historic Bank building will begin shortly after the renovation work is completed on the bank building.

“We’re very excited about this project being underway. The Berwyn National Bank Building is a very important landmark for the City of Berwyn. It is a testimonial to our culturally rich past, as well as an important symbol of our future development,” said Berwyn City Mayor, Michael A. O’Connor. “By preserving the valuable Bank and at the same time integrating new commercial entities, we are able to maintain our historic identity while propelling development for the Cermak Road corridor,” he added.

The City and Berwyn Development Corporation were able to bring this agreement after moving through a request for proposal process which emphasized preservation and adaptive re-use along with the potential for new construction adjacent to the site. The results of the process brought forth a quality development team which achieves the goals of the City.

Next steps involve securing permits through the City of Berwyn to begin the renovation and preservation process of the venue. Additional development plans include leasing retail space in the soon-to-be renovated Berwyn National Bank Building. The rest of the block will include new construction consisting of mixed use retail and residential condos.

The Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC) is a non-profit economic development organization located in Berwyn, IL and includes over 200 business and individual members.

[via chicago]

are they still using architect Gunny Harboe as the consultant? (he's restored a lot of famous buildings downtown, such as the Rookery, the Carson Pirie Scott building, and the Board of Trade)

Also, I'm relieved the original plans fell through and its not going to be an Applebees going in there..that building deserves so much better.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by via chicago

are they still using architect Gunny Harboe as the consultant? (he's restored a lot of famous buildings downtown, such as the Rookery, the Carson Pirie Scott building, and the Board of Trade)

Also, I'm relieved the original plans fell through and its not going to be an Applebees going in there..that building deserves so much better.

My understanding is yes, but don't quote me on that. Yes, Applebees would have been somewhat, shall we say, interesting in that type of space. I do think the present plan will be 100x better though.

[bungalowdweller]

I agree with Bru 100% about the population of Berwyn. There are ALL kinds of people in Berwyn AND in Cicero for that matter. Like Bru, I spend most of my money Out of town--in Forest Park and Oak Park. My daughter studies ballet and dances at least three times a week in River Forest so I go north at least five days a week. For an interesting bit of info about WHO lives in what town, go to the marketing segment website that I have posted here. Enter your zip code (or the zip code of any place you're interested in) and you will see the top 4 or 5 marketing segments for that particular town. The information is fascinating. And best of all, FREE! When I discovered the site years ago, I was comforted to learn that my family and circle of friends weren't the only professsional people living in Cicero. Prizm > Market Segmentation Research, Tools, Market Segment Research, - Market Segments, Consumer Markets, Customer Segmentation Profiling