Glen Ellyn to form new downtown group

A committee charged with the future of downtown Glen Ellyn recommended the board create a new organization that would absorb some of a dissolving group's responsibilities while also taking some from another group. The recommendation came during a workshop Monday and the leaders of both groups say they support the Transitional Downtown Advisory's Committee's formation and recommendations.

"It shows the village really values the downtown," said Janet Avila, president of the Downtown Glen Ellyn Alliance, a 3-year-old organization that will disappear at the end of the year. The timing of the dissolution has been planned since the village board announced the downtown committee's study last October. "Downtowns are key to community aspects of villages," she added.

Under the recommendations, the yet-to-be-named group would take over event planning, in conjunction with the Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce and Go Downtown! Also, it would work at business recruitment and retention, as well as promotion and marketing of the downtown area, all tasks currently led by the Economic Development Corp.

"It's going to give us an opportunity to pay more attention to our core economic development," said Executive Director Janie Patch. "We can be this facilitator and improve the efficiency and find solutions that will make things happen in downtown Glen Ellyn. The EDC has been filling all of those gaps for years downtown. The downtown needs this level of attention and focus."

The 13-member appointed committee included representatives of the existing groups and spent the last six months researching downtown areas and groups in surrounding towns. The group also recommended movement on a parking garage, an underpass for foot traffic and a branding of Glen Ellyn to encourage downtown visitors.

Although no decisions were made Monday, the group introduced several funding options for the board to consider. These included the redirection of funds from the downtown special service area and money previously meant for the economic development corporation's marketing arm. The committee estimated the group would need an annual budget of about $257,000 to be viable.