Editorial: Searching for the lost wonder of historic Long Grove
It's been a while since the words "vibrant" and "downtown Long Grove shopping" could be used in the same sentence.
The once bustling historic shopping district often resembles a ghost town these days.
Sure, the summer and fall festivals devoted to strawberries, chocolate and apples are still a nice draw, but the fact is, they don't attract the busloads of tourists of yesteryear.
The challenge is finding ways to bring back people who have shunned Long Grove's specialty shops in favor of other shopping areas and online retailers. That's why a new effort to make downtown a destination again is so important.
A revival is needed not just for the retailers who make their living with those shops, or to the village that relies on the sales tax dollars.
It's also important to the suburbs because downtown Long Grove is and always has been one of our signature destinations, like Ravinia, Arlington Park, Woodfield and Geneva's Third Street.
Losing it would be a blow.
Are all the downtown business owners happy with the plan? No. It includes some extended road closures during festivals that have upset at least one longtime business owner.
Randy Towner, whose family has owned Mel's Marathon, said the closures will put his gas station at a disadvantage.
He's one of those small business owners who make up Long Grove, and we hope he can work with the village - and the village work with him - to reach a compromise that benefits everyone.
Regardless, this effort is also important because it represents a proactive move aimed at rebuilding the historic district's foundation to make things better, not doubling down on the status quo and hoping for the best.
Score some wins, generate some momentum and new ideas should germinate.
Ray Messner, president of the nonprofit board that acts as Long Grove's chamber of commerce, tourism bureau and economic development arm, bluntly says today's historic business district is "desolate."
"We're trying to bring back some of the vibrance," he told the Daily Herald's Katlyn Smith.
Leaders plan to roll out a new format, longer hours and a musical night life.
Gone will be early-bird hours that had live music ending at 6 p.m. Music will play until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Instead of scattering vendors across the downtown, booths and other activities will run along Robert Parker Coffin Road on either side of Old McHenry Road.
They've hired a new event planner to create more pedestrian-friendly street fests. Some new shops have opened and new development may be on the way.
What that says is while Long Grove's business district is rooted in the past, its future is now.