Lombard awards grants to events, new businesses
A variety of Lombard businesses and events are getting a boost from grants approved by the village board.
Downtown retail business grants, for example, have been awarded to Mesa Home Video and Lori's Antique Jewelry, which are both opening soon at 130 E. St. Charles Road.
The grants are each valued at $20,000 and will help fund interior improvements, including a new ceiling, concrete coring, glasswork, flooring, drywall, painting and heating and air conditioning. Funding for the grants comes from a village tax increment financing district.
Bill Heniff, director of community development, said the business owners are in the process of finalizing plans for the interior build out. The owners were the recipients of another grant last year that helped fund exterior renovations.
Heniff said he isn't sure when the businesses will open, but it will be this year.
A separate business, Mesa Electronics, which opened in the building last year, does a lot of “business to business activities” and focuses on the technology and electronic needs for industrial-type users such as hospitals, Heniff said.
The new Mesa Home Video will target residential customers and offer a variety of video and audio equipment while Lori's Antique Jewelry will offer fine jewelry and decorative art.
Heniff said the owner's family has run a jewelry business since 1930, with previous locations in Chicago and Highland Park.
“She has a custom niche, a custom market that she's built on,” Heniff said. “She's really looking for a physical presence for her business.”
Several large local tourism grants also have been awarded.
“All of these funds are based on expenditures. If the groups do not spend that money they do not get all that money,” Trustee Laura Fitzpatrick said. “They have to come back to us with receipts to show those funds were needed.”
Some of grants approved by the village board include:
• $23,000 to Lombard Lilac Festival Parade organizers for costs associated with the parade, which will take place May 17. Fitzpatrick said the community promotion and tourism committee challenged the parade committee to seek $5,000, to “bring in some funding other than the village of Lombard.” The organizers, she said, met the challenge.
“We're very pleased to see the fundraising report plan that they submitted to us,” Fitzpatrick said, adding that she encourages residents to attend fundraisers for the parade. Those fundraisers are scheduled at Panda Express on March 7, Rock Bottom on March 19, Buona Beef on March 31 and Sweet Tomatoes on April 12. For details, visit lombardlilacparade.com.
• $10,045 to the Lombard Historical Society to help fund the Lombard Civil War Re-enactment, which will take place July 24 to 26 at Four Seasons Park.
Fitzpatrick said the event will be much grander this year. “Expect to see quite a few more re-enactors, which also will create quite a few more hotels room (stays) because they really don't stay in tents,” she said with a smile.
Grant funds will be used toward entertainment, supplies and advertising.
• $10,000 for the second annual Lombard Ale Fest, which will be held June 13 in downtown Lombard. The event is hosted by the Glenbard East Boosters Club. An estimated 80 beers will be available to sample during this year's event. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. March 12.
• $7,125 to the Lombard Junior Womens Club for the Lilac Princess program. The organization originally requested $9,500, but lowered the request to $8,625 after learning Lombard Park District would cover the cost of the princess float. The approval of up to $7,125 in grant funding by the board resulted in a $1,625 shortfall from the organization's request, but President Keith Giagnorio said a $1,000 grant from Union Pacific likely will lower the shortfall to $625.