Sugar Grove president focuses on economic development in State of the Village address

Jen Konen isn’t the type of person who’s going to sit around and wait for things to happen.

The Sugar Grove village president made that clear while making her State of the Village address at Waubonsee Community College on Feb. 28. Last year, she gave her debut address at the Sugar Grove Public Library.

“In some instances, we have vacant farmland that is not doing anything and we need motivation and we need development encouraged or incentivized in someone to get some property online,” she said. “I have made a commitment to ensure that any future TIF districts, or the ones that we have, are surplussing funds on a regular basis. So if there is any misnomer out there about waiting for 23 years to be paid off through TIF districts, that is simply false. That is not the goal of this board. [Our goal] is to keep everyone thriving as we move through that process.”

A TIF is a financial tool used by governments to help fund redevelopment projects by earmarking newly created property tax revenue within the district for redevelopment and improvement projects.

Acknowledging that some people dislike TIFs, Konen said it is an option for the village.

“I support it when it’s used properly,” she said. “I think what most people have an issue with is the way it’s been mishandled within Chicago. That is not the intention. I am someone who will stand here and tell you I believe in every taxing district that is in that tax bill, and my job is to make sure that you’re all getting money back.”

Konen praised recent economic development in the village, as well as the hiring of Michael Cassa as the village’s economic development director.

“We’ve been standing still and idle for such a long time that without someone promoting your community and going out there and going to businesses, you’re never going to get anywhere, you’re only going to see who wants to come,” she said. “We wanted to take a proactive approach and hired what I believe is one of the best in the business [Cassa], not a newbie to economic development, but someone who has an established career that somehow I could coerce to come to Sugar Grove.”

Since Sugar Grove doesn’t have a true downtown like other communities, Konen said the aim is to create destination pockets.

“A lot of the communities as you travel the United States, you’ll see they are pocketed, so when I talk about CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) bringing pocket neighborhoods and 15-minute neighborhoods, Sugar Grove is really primed for that,” she said. “I feel like we can have a pocket here and a pocket there and they are destination pockets. And it will be places you can stop, you can dine, and re-create all of those things, but we have to start somewhere. There is not one perfect location.”

Crown Community Development is hopeful the interchange of Interstate 88 and Route 47 is deemed a great location for a 760-acres master-planned community. It’s not the first time Crown has considered Sugar Grove, but its proposal several years ago was rejected after residents flocked to meetings to voice opposition. How the public responds to this most recent proposal remains to be seen. The company is expected to hold public informational sessions about the proposal this spring.

“The new concept is 100% better than the plan from 2019,” Konen wrote in a text message March 2. “It is a master-planned community with a town center as well as commercial and business park uses. There would be a much-needed tax base added to over 14 taxing districts. I look forward to their community engagements and I hope to see them make a formal application to the village for zoning and annexation.”

More dining options are coming soon to Sugar Grove. Konen said Burnt Barrel Social, which has a location in Yorkville, is scheduled to open in April at Heartland and Waubonsee Drive and will feature a patio with outdoor seating. The lot being developed next door to Jewel, which will house the relocated Subway along with Bubbakoo’s Burritos and Cold Stone Creamery, is under construction as well.

Konen spoke about the importance of investing further in the community’s infrastructure, emphasizing a massive increase in the annual village sidewalk repair and replacement program, as well as resurfacing of roads and a grant for a crosswalk at Route 30 and Municipal Drive.

She praised the work of government bodies in Sugar Grove working together for the betterment of the community. She cited the creation of an ice skating rink this winter by Sugar Grove Fire Protection, Sugar Grove Township, Sugar Grove Township Community Building and Sugar Grove Park District, as well as another intergovernmental agreement between the Kane County Forest Preserve, village of Sugar Grove, Sugar Grove Township and the Sugar Grove Park District for the future construction of the Blackberry Creek pedestrian bridge.

“The pedestrian crossing is really about making our community safer and more accessible through the trail system,” she said. “This is going to help after a long waiting time to get that across the finish line. Also, the park district, township and village have entered an IGA separately for maintenance for longevity of that bridge, so we’re maintaining that ourselves and I thank those partners.”