Rosemont makes pitch for economic stimulus money

Palatine wants a piece of it. As does North Chicago.

Now Rosemont joins a growing list of suburban communities vying for a share in President Obama's as yet unapproved $800 billion-plus economic stimulus package.

The village made a pitch this week to state and federal legislators for help getting $127 million for three projects: the Balmoral Avenue extension, an off-ramp from the northbound Tri-State Tollway, and a municipal parking garage.

A U.S. Conference of Mayors delegation is meeting with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., this week to lobby for federal funding for infrastructure. The group prepared a 300-page wish list of "shovel ready" projects from nearly 800 cities.

Rosemont Mayor Bradley Stephens said a tollway ramp would provide easier access to Rosemont Theatre and a proposed upscale outlet mall nearby, and a Balmoral Avenue extension west to Mannheim Road would ease traffic flow in the area.

"I think it's not only good for Rosemont, but it also helps getting people into the airport and moving the traffic in and out of Rosemont," Stephens said.

Stephens said with development planned for the area, the biggest problem will be keeping traffic moving on River Road.

"And it's going to be important to have a relief valve for people to get to Mannheim," Stephens said.

The garage would accommodate shoppers at the mall targeted for roughly 12 acres just south of Balmoral behind Rosemont Theatre and the InterContinental Hotel.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said the office is being inundated with similar requests. The Illinois Department of Transportation will ultimately be in charge of disbursing federal stimulus funds.