Downtown Wheaton needs a yes vote

On April 5, Wheaton voters have the opportunity to make an important decision. This decision is extremely important to the long-term viability of downtown Wheaton, however; it should not be a difficult one.

Voting yes means: We provide the Wheaton City Council the direction to continue to explore all reasonable options for the redevelopment of this historic property; TIF taxes — not general fund property taxes — will most likely provide the $150,000 in public funding; the opportunity for downtown Wheaton to become a center of cultural entertainment with a higher quality of life can become a reality.

Voting No means: The likelihood of the city council pursuing any public/private partnerships for theater redevelopment decreases; the likelihood of demolition — adding another vacant property to downtown — increases.

The current reality: No other option for maintaining the viability of downtown is on the table; every major development in downtown Wheaton in the last 10-plus years has had public funding support; either through TIF funds or infrastructure improvements; the rehabilitation of historic buildings typically requires public funding, both here in DuPage County and Nationwide; the theater redevelopment has the potential to bring tax dollars to Wheaton from visitors outside of Wheaton; voting yes does not commit the city to a redevelopment option.

As a property owner and business owner of a non-retail business in downtown Wheaton, I am prepared to continue to pay TIF property taxes to maintain the viability of downtown Wheaton. The Wheaton Grand Theater is a unique historic resource; this is not the time for an unnecessary “do nothing” vote.

Al Hollenbeck

President/CEO

RJN Group, consulting engineers

Wheaton