Mount Prospect trustees spar over downtown project

With the Mount Prospect downtown development stalled, the fate of the 2-acre area bounded by Northwest Highway, Route 83 and Willie Street is becoming a focus of the trustee race.

Incumbents Mike Zadel, Steve Polit, John Matuszak and challenger Matt Stankowicz have their own ideas about what should be there when the project moves forward.

Last year, the village board approved the $40 million town center project. It consisted of two, seven-story buildings and one, five-story building. It offered more than 100 condominiums and between 30,000 and 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. But with the state of the economy, Northbrook developer John D. Heimbaugh's plan is on hold.

Stankowicz said the village should revamp its downtown plan to include about half the condominiums proposed, especially in a difficult economy.

"Just because we build it, doesn't mean they are going to come," Stankowicz said. "So to commit to such a large number is a mistake."

He said he'd like to see some kind of park at the site. And residents are telling him they want more shops and restaurants in the downtown area.

Polit said the village has to be careful what it puts in the 2-acre site since it's not a large area.

For instance, residents may want a grocery store, but developers' studies have shown that demographics wouldn't support it with all the other grocery stores nearby. That same idea relates to the number of condominiums proposed. The retail without the number of residential units won't work as well, he said.

"The purpose of having the residential above the retail in the triangle was we were bringing more people in to make some of these businesses more viable because we were having the customer base being created by the project," Polit said. "The reason was not just to sell more condos."

Zadel said the area should include restaurants and unique shops. Like Polit, he said the condominiums were an integral part of the development's success since they support the retail.

"We have looked at this as a board for a lot years and realized that the housing component of it is necessary in order for the developer to come in and make the development work financially. Just to put that retail component in there and have one or two stories above it financially isn't feasible - not on that small piece of property," Zadel said. "So, whatever ends up in there will have a rather substantial residential component."

Matuszak said the downtown would likely have more mom-and-pop type restaurants instead of big chains. He was dubious about incorporating a green space in the downtown for financial reasons because the area is part of a tax increment financing district. In a district, the additional property tax revenue generated by the new development is used to fund some of the project expenses, rather than going to schools, parks and other taxing bodies as it normally would. Therefore, the village should push to put in something that makes money, he said.

"Green spaces don't generate tax revenue," Matuszak said.

Polit was appointed by Mayor Irvana Wilks after Richard Lohrstorfer resigned and Matuszak was appointed by Wilks after Timothy Corcoran stepped down. Zadel was elected twice previously.