Why Des Plaines officials delayed vote on restaurant grant plan
A plan to offer municipal grants to new restaurateurs in Des Plaines is going to be reworked to expand the pool of potential beneficiaries beyond the downtown district.
The city council was scheduled to vote on the proposal Tuesday but delayed action after 5th Ward Alderman Carla Brookman suggested grants be offered to businesses across Des Plaines.
Aldermen suggested other changes to the proposal, too, including requiring council approval for all the grants and not just those greater than $10,000.
As drafted, the grants would be part of the city's Business Assistance Program. The maximum grant would be $100,000.
Funds would be used to reimburse owners of new restaurants for up to half the cost of improvements made to open. Eligible improvements could include fixtures, signs, facade work and permanent interior changes.
Only new restaurants would be eligible for the grant.
The effort is similar to a program established in 2016 for the area around the Des Plaines Theatre. The council approved grants for two proposed restaurants under that program, but neither was awarded because the plans fizzled, Community and Economic Development Director John Carlisle said.
During Tuesday's discussion, Brookman suggested the proposed Foxtail on the Lake restaurant planned for a former church building at 1177 Howard Ave. would be "an ideal candidate" for a grant. The building, owned by the Des Plaines Park District, is in Brookman's ward.
Mayor Andrew Goczkowski was among the officials who agreed the grants should be offered to entrepreneurs anywhere in the city and not just downtown.
Officials also directed Carlisle to see what other suburbs are doing to draw restaurants.
The council asked Carlisle and his team to bring back an updated version of the proposal as soon as possible.