DuPage mayors look back on successes of 2018

We recently asked mayors in DuPage County to look back on the highlights of the past year in their towns. Here's what they had to say ...

Frank Saverino, Carol Stream

In 2018, we completed our village hall renovation project ahead of schedule and under budget. The project, paid with cash, didn't impose any debt on our residents while providing a more modern, green and accessible public facility.

We also successfully relocated our services from a temporary facility to the new village hall with no disruption in service. We are excited to share this contemporary facility with our community.

Nunzio Pulice, Wood Dale

We have been very busy in 2018 as we completed our new comprehensive plan that will help guide the future of Wood Dale. We thank the many residents who participated throughout the process.

We also have started the first phase of a large stormwater infrastructure project helping between 625 to 675 homes.

We continue to work on new branding, aesthetic improvements, business retention, business recruitment throughout the city, making Wood Dale a destination to live, work, dine and enjoy.

Frank DeSimone, Bensenville

One of our proudest achievements throughout 2018 was expanding our senior services, which remains a top priority throughout the community. We are pleased to offer an array of services and programs to benefit them, including lawn and snow services, fitness classes and a bus service coming in 2019.

We are also very proud of the investments at Redmond Park, including an arboretum featuring 40 different types of trees, representing the species planted throughout the village each year. We look forward to continuing to grow this incredible outdoor space that so many of our residents take advantage of.

Linda Jackson, Glendale Heights

The village has been very successful in our economic development efforts, particularly along the North Avenue Corridor, with the annexation and construction of the 183,296-square-foot Duke Realty industrial building, which has led to additional development opportunities along the corridor.

The village board already has approved several new projects in 2018, including a Jeep dealership, Menards expansion and new restaurants such Freddy's, Burger King and Popeye's.

Additionally, the village has seen significant reinvestment at several shopping centers on our other major corridor, Army Trail Road. I am very proud of the continued investment in our village.

Ruben Pineda, West Chicago

The intergovernmental partnerships that resulted in three new recent developments at the DuPage Business Center lead the list of West Chicago's greatest accomplishments for 2018.

The impactful venture between school districts 33 and 94, the West Chicago Library District, and the West Chicago Fire Protection District to provide a strong tax incentive package that made economic sense due to the enhanced revenue streams that will be realized for our community, contributed to the historic groundbreaking of three major businesses: Suncast Corporation, Norix Group, Inc. and Greco and Sons, Inc.

Steve Morley, Elmhurst

In 2018, the city retained an AAA bond rating and received ISO 1 classification, both reaffirming its ongoing commitment to providing the highest level of service to its residents.

Additionally, the city broke ground on two major stormwater mitigation projects. These projects will reduce overland flooding to the largest area affected by flooding and will provide flood reduction benefits to more than 120 homes.

The city's economic development also has been noteworthy. Downtown development alone has exceeded $100 million. The establishment of a new Downtown TIF will continue to encourage private investment in the downtown area.

Andy Maglio, Roselle

The greatest achievement that the village has seen in 2018 is an increase in community involvement, especially with the formation of community partnerships among organizations that benefit our entire community.

Organizations collaborated for our Flags for Roselle program, to form our new Main Street Merchants Association, and to run our annual Taste of Roselle, to name a few.

Keith Giagnorio, Lombard

The village experienced many successes in 2018. One of our greatest recent achievements happened when the restructuring for the LPFC/Westin Hotel was finalized in March 2018, allowing for continued hotel operations, and then a subsequent bond issuance in October 2018, both of which will help the village to improve our credit rating. While the village has never owned the hotel, the Westin and the Yorktown area continue to be an economic anchor for the region.

As we continue to face financial challenges resulting from a changing economic landscape and unfunded state mandates, we will to rise to meet them. We delivered a balanced 2019 budget and will remain focused on long-term financial health.

Chris Pecak, Lisle

Great strides have been made in making village government responsive to the community. This began with a property tax freeze, with continued pursuit of new and efficient ways of delivering municipal services.

Partnering with DuPage County and Unit District 202 for shared services are two examples of these efforts to save taxpayers money. Successfully negotiating a new waste and recycling hauling agreement also has reduced costs and improved services.

Village regulations have been modernized and streamlined, and the village has worked diligently to attract desirable development, support Lisle businesses, and continue to bring exciting amenities and experiences to Lisle.

Steve Chirico, Naperville

The city continues to grow and change. In 2018 it was announced that Naperville will be the site of CityGate North, a new $60.2 million complex that will span 25 acres and include indoor ice rinks, an expo center and entertainment spaces. CityGate North will be the largest venue of its size in DuPage County.

We also broke ground on the Naperville Jaycees Park, an outdoor Wi-Fi workspace in the heart of our downtown that was funded by private community donations.

Gopal Lalmalani, Oak Brook

We saw several new developments in the village that brought us exciting businesses, concepts and restaurants that included:

• The grand reopening of Sears.

• Groundbreaking for Carvana, where you can buy a car online then pick it up at our newly built "car vending machine" or have it delivered to your door.

• An airplane put into Kidzania at the Oakbrook Mall, so children can have an incredible learning experience when it opens late 2019.

• The recent opening of Ballard Designs and L.L. Bean at Oakbrook Mall.

• The Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art began renovation of their new home where residents and visitors can gain appreciation for the unique characteristics of the mineral world,

• The opening this month of Rush University's nationally-ranked Midwest orthopedics and spine care center, along with ancillary facilities, including multi-speciality clinics, laboratory, and imaging center.

• Rock Sugar, Roka Akor and Shake Shack restaurants opened.

• The village partnered with the RTA, the Greater Oak Brook Chamber and the property owners on 22nd Street to begin a new shuttle service to get their employees to their businesses from outside the village.

David Brummel, Warrenville

Exciting initial pieces of the city's economic development plan are taking shape with new residential development proposals and construction, which will help attract new restaurant and retail businesses and enhance the community's future long-term economic stability. Airhart Development's much anticipated redevelopment of a former contaminated industrial property in the Civic Center of the community with the Stafford Place single-family neighborhood is under way and ahead of schedule.

Warrenville also had another very successful National Night Out Against Crime in August and completed the long-awaited Butterfield Road streetscape improvements.

Diane McGinley, Glen Ellyn

In 2018, Glen Ellyn was looking for a way to fill 30 percent empty space in the Civic Center due to the police department moving into its own building. After much hard work and deliberation, Glen Ellyn successfully partnered with College of DuPage to secure that space for the new Innovation DuPage. Innovation DuPage will significantly impact economic development in DuPage County by supporting startup and early-stage business enterprises. Construction has begun and Innovation DuPage is expected to open in April of 2019. We are excited to welcome Innovation DuPage to Glen Ellyn's Civic Center.

Erik Spande, Winfield

Winfield had a very good 2018. We opened a $3 million regional trail through our Town Center, authorized our first commercial project in our new Roosevelt Road corridor, broke ground on a new $23 million e-Commerce center on North Avenue, and continued expansion of our Timber Creek subdivision. This December we had our first public meeting on the proposed $80 million Town Center redevelopment project in partnership with Northwestern Medicine, which keeps all new hospital development on the tax rolls, expands commercial space, has new parks and plazas, enhanced streetscapes, and a new village hall and police station at no additional cost to taxpayers.