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Fox River Grove candidates weigh in on downtown redevelopment

Fox River Grove's downtown redevelopment and shaping the next 100 years of the tiny McHenry County town are top priorities for candidates vying to become village trustees.

Five candidates - incumbent Steve Knar and challengers Patrick Wall, Jennifer Curtiss, Christopher Russell and Chester Olencheck - are running April 7 for three, 4-year term seats on the village board.

Northbrook-based Gart Partners is proposing a $250 million, mixed-use development to transform roughly 20 acres within downtown. It would include about 500 apartments, office and retail spaces, and a marina. However, no plans have been submitted as yet as the developer is working to acquire properties on the south side of Route 14 near the Metra train station, officials said.

"If you can't get this development, you can't get the retail and dining options," said Knar, 49, who was appointed to the village board in 2009 by Village President Bob Nunamaker.

Knar said there are only four dine-in restaurants and a couple of fast-food places in town. He added, residents need some options to be able to congregate in downtown, such as a sports bar, and more sit-down restaurants serving pizza/hamburgers.

Olencheck, 59, a postal worker who twice ran unsuccessfully for the village board, said officials have been talking about redeveloping the downtown area for years and nothing has come to fruition. He cautioned against village leaders' plan to expand a special downtown taxing district that would siphon money away from local taxing bodies, and the displacement of existing residents near the river.

"If it is to benefit the town, absolutely I am for it, but (not) displacing people from their homes," he said, adding there are vacant buildings in downtown that could be knocked down and redeveloped first.

Olencheck said the village could use apartment buildings for seniors, similar to what has been done in Barrington, Carpentersville, Cary and Crystal Lake. "Everybody has one except Fox River Grove," he said. "To me that would make more sense than to have an apartment building."

He also would like to see a gazebo, a place for concerts and bands, and a teen drop-in center.

Most of the candidates agree redevelopment of downtown, in one form or another, is essential to attracting new businesses and increasing tax revenues.

"We need something to draw more people in," said Curtiss, 29, treasurer of the Fox River Grove Lioness Club.

Curtiss said the village must follow the lead of communities that have redeveloped their downtowns, such as Arlington Heights. "The biggest draw for me is the river ... the access to go up the locks and spend a weekend outdoors."

Any future development, she said, should be in keeping with the resort-like feel of Fox River Grove. She also said she would like to see businesses like a craft brewery in town.

Wall, 37, a member of the village planning and economic development commission, said he likes the vision for the proposed redevelopment of downtown.

"It gives it a ski town feel," he said. "It's a good look for the downtown, reminiscent of the '20s and '30s."

Wall, a current Fox River Grove School District 3 school board member, said the village should maximize usage of the river. He also would like to see more community events and festivals in downtown during the summer and winter months, tying into the annual Norge Ski Jump.

Russell, 20, a 2012 graduate of Cary-Grove High School, said the redevelopment proposal could add about 700 people to the roughly 4,700 residents and potentially increase traffic.

"We need to ensure that this development or redevelopment is truly beneficial for this community," he said. "With a quarter of a billion being invested into our downtown area, things such as solar-powered roadways or walkways should be looked into."

Russell also wants the village board to be more transparent about the redevelopment process and supports public meetings being recorded and made accessible to residents.

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