Members rally for MainStreet Libertyville

The real estate market isn't exactly flush these days, yet two Libertyville Realtors are eager to part with $10,000.

Tom Kreuser and M.J. Seiler, owners of a local Century 21 office, are willing to match that amount from residents. It's a sales pitch of a different sort in what has become a campaign to keep MainStreet Libertyville afloat.

"The amount was picked to more or less get people's attention, and it did," Kreuser said.

Donations are starting to flow after a recent plea by the downtown revitalization group. But the financial corner is far from being turned and the focus has been getting residents to understand why they should care.

Until recently, there were only about 300 residential members of the not-for-profit group out of 11,000 households in the Libertyville area.

"That's pathetic," said Seiler, who was a member of the original MainStreet board in 1989 and has been active in downtown issues since. "We need to get those people to buy in."

That's also the message sent by Jack Martin, a well-known business owner and activist whose holdings are centered far north of downtown along Route 137. Martin mailed 7,000 letters at his own expense asking residents to donate $25 or more to help MainStreet weather a financial emergency.

Martin invites residents to imagine what the community would be like without the many popular MainStreet-sponsored events, such as Out to Lunch or Dickens of a Holiday.

"As a lifelong resident of Libertyville, I believe all of you agree with me that we cannot let MainStreet fold and go away," the letter says.

Martin was unavailable Tuesday to elaborate, although he has agreed to chair an upcoming fundraiser, according to Randy Nelson, executive director of MainStreet.

Village leaders have been emphatic about protecting highly visible public events but have been equally staunch in saying the group has to be more self-supporting. Annual village donations have dropped from a high of $50,000 to $10,000.

MainStreet needs about $10,000 a month to stay in business and the word is getting out. About 120 new members have joined in recent weeks and an unnamed individual has agreed to match $2,500, according to Nelson. Even scouting groups are getting involved, he said.

Nelson said $30 million in reinvestment has led to a vibrant downtown area with few vacancies. That in turn has boosted home values and created other benefits, supporters say.

Both Kreuser and Seiler, who were born and raised in Libertyville, acknowledge that, but say their offer is more than protecting an investment.

"I was born in Condell hospital and he's (Seiler) the third generation," Kreuser said. "This is our town."

By priming the pump with matching funds, supporters hope to attract new members and interest, giving MainStreet a solid base to solicit corporate donations.

"That's what's going to sustain this organization -- new blood, new thought, less burnout," Seiler said.

Meanwhile, MainStreet is working on a detailed financial plan. That will be the basis of a pending request to village leaders for emergency funds as well as a re-evaluation of their position toward the group.