New Lake Villa push to hook retail outlets

Lake Villa's proximity to Round Lake, Gurnee and Antioch has traditionally caused commercial developers to overlook the village.

Lake Villa officials said they hope to change that focus.

The village has revived its economic development commission and is interviewing consultants to jump-start commercial and retail development.

"It's always been an ongoing focus for us, but we've been told we didn't have viable rooftops so commercial isn't interested," Mayor Frank Loffredo said. "We've grown to the point now where we have the rooftops."

The commission will be made up of local business owners, school district officials and residents, Loffredo said.

The group will meet the first Monday of every other month beginning in April.

About three years ago, the village had an economic development committee, which mainly focused on the downtown.

This commission, Loffredo said, will be different because it will look at the economics of the entire village.

Loffredo said he would like to see specialty stores, a smaller grocery store and retail stores in the village.

"We have many big-boxes within a seven-mile radius, but Lake Villa is in the center of all of it, you have to pass through our village to get to other places," Loffredo said. "If you put the sharp end of a compass in Lake Villa and draw a radius, we are in the middle. Hopefully we can capitalize on that."