Downers Grove business groups look to continue development

DOWNERS GROVE – Though the village economic situation remains fairly healthy, the Downers Grove Economic Development Corporation and the village's Downtown Management Corporation think there are still opportunities for growth in 2017.

Michael Cassa, president and CEO of the economic development corporation, and Linda Kunze, executive director of the downtown corporation, both said Downers Grove was in a good place relative to other communities in the area.

Cassa said a number of large businesses in the area closed in the wake of the 2009 recession, including the Luxury Motors car dealership, Home Depot and Rossi Furniture in the immediate aftermath.

"The end result was you had large sites that not only went vacant, but the sales tax that was being generated all went away," he said.

The downtown area was kept free of large numbers of vacancies compared to some other nearby communities, Kunze said.

The maintained occupancy rate was the product of hard work by stakeholders including the Downtown Management Corporation, she said, as well as location.

"We're here on a daily basis, we listen to the residents and what they want and conduct surveys to find out," she said. "We're always looking for good ideas."

The village, alongside the two economic corporations, has since filled most of the high-priority vacancies, most recently in the opening of the Art Van Furniture and Fresh Thyme Grocery stores in 2015.

According to a 2015 study by infrastructure consultant AECOM, Downers Grove beat out all but Bolingbrook in terms of total net absorption by square feet since 2009.

With a previously vacant lot in the 1800 block of Ogden Avenue being developed into a new location for the local Packey Webb Ford dealership, Cassa said opportunities for Downers Grove growth will likely revolve around redevelopment.

"Since Downers Grove is a built-out community, the only way you can bring a new business in is either going to go into an existing space or spend money on remodeling or a total renovation," he said. "Redevelopment – that's going to be how we are able to attract those retail anchors."

Should a new, major tenant come in and transform a shopping area through improvements or increased business, the other stores on the property would benefit, uplifting the entire area, Cassa said.

He specifically noted the south side of Butterfield Road and the Grove Shopping Center on 75th Street as prime targets for future work. He also hoped to add more upscale restaurants in the Butterfield corridor to particularly offer options to guests in local hotels.

In the downtown area, Kunze hoped new residential and mixed-use developments underway could provide more opportunities for businesses in the area, eyeing the northwest corner of Maple Avenue and Main Street as a possible site for future work.

The businesses that fill future vacancies would depend not only on those interested, but also on what the residents wanted, Kunze said.

"We're always looking, every year," she said.

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Major Downers Grove retail vacancies and their replacements

2015

• Fresh Thyme Grocery Store (34,055 square feet) at former Luxury Motors

• Art Van Furniture (112,000 square feet) at former Home Depot Expo

• Zeigler Auto Group (2,200 square feet) at former Bryder Auto Sales

2014

• Caputo's Fresh Market (72,000 square feet) at former Dominick's

• Bill Kay Classic Cars (22,621 square feet) at former Suzuki Motors

2013