Economic development an issue in Grayslake election

Economic development in Grayslake's downtown and elsewhere is one of the top issues confronting village trustee candidates running in the April 7 election.

Voters will select from three incumbents - Amy Edwards, Shawn Vogel and Bruce Bassett - and political newcomer Quin O'Brien. The foursome is in the hunt for three village board seats.

The trustee candidates addressed economic development in Daily Herald questionnaires and in editorial board interviews.

On topic of downtown Grayslake, O'Brien said he would push stores to keep later hours for added consumer convenience.

"I think Grayslake has a wonderful downtown," O'Brien said. "It is part of the charm of this town. I believe there needs to be a greater variety of shops with more of a focus on retail and entertainment."

Bassett said the village's main role is to continue being a matchmaker for property owners and entrepreneurs, as well as sponsoring festivals and other events to bring visitors to the area. He said village government can't force shops to extend hours.

Vogel said despite some vacancies, the downtown is generally successful and the village can only do so much to lure new retailers and other businesses to open there. He said village government will continue promoting downtown and trying to recruit new businesses and those that want to open second locations.

"We can always do more, but we have also tried several ideas multiple times," Vogel said.

Edwards said the downtown isn't conducive to enticing businesses that would bring a lot of traffic to the area because of a lack of square footage.

"Nobody wants to mess with the ambience of the district," Edwards said.

Bassett and Vogel said they and Edwards hope to be re-elected to see through some projects that are on the verge of fruition, in particular an undeveloped area commonly known as Central Range north of Peterson Road, between Alleghany Road and Route 83. They said maintaining continuity on the board will help bring projects to completion.

Vogel noted a Grayslake plan commission public hearing set for 7:15 p.m. March 23 for a commercial, office/industrial and residential proposal backed by Skokie-based Alter Group. The development would be in the Central Range area.

Bassett and Vogel also agreed Grayslake's strong financial position has allowed it to be patient in waiting for a development to materialize.

"You can see some communities that have mortgaged their towns and they have become failed real-estate brokers," Vogel said.

O'Brien said while Grayslake officials have done an overall good job in trying to attract new businesses, there should be more effort put into restarting stalled projects within the next year.