Mundelein businesses set to get village grants for renovations
Two Mundelein businesses are lined up to get five-figure village grants that will help fund facility improvements.
The village board on Monday approved a $50,000 Business Incentive Grant for Tonality Brewing Co., a microbrewery and restaurant coming to 169 N. Seymour Ave.
The board also agreed to draft the necessary documents for a $30,000 grant for Components for Industry, a parts manufacturer moving to 909 E. High St.
Tonality is planned for a building that formerly served as a village fire station and as a public works maintenance garage. The grant will partially defray interior and exterior renovation costs. Co-owner Don Phillips said improvements totaling $3.4 million are coming.
The grant was part of an incentive deal the village made with Tonality last year. A sales-tax rebate and cash from a special tax fund also were promised. Phillips said his team hopes to finalize the purchase of the building from the village Oct. 15 and for construction to begin in November.
Tonality could open next summer, he said. That's later than originally proposed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.
"It's been a very challenging project," Phillips said.
Operating on Armour Boulevard in Mundelein for decades, Components for Industry is moving into a new facility in town. Interior and exterior renovations are planned.
Company representatives applied for a $50,000 grant. But village staffers recommended $20,000 because the project has limited community impact, documents state. Additionally, officials were concerned about not having enough money to help other potential applicants.
After much discussion, trustees settled on drafting paperwork for a $30,000 grant but said the company should apply for more money near the end of the fiscal year in spring 2023.
Under the Business Incentive Grant program, awards of up to $25,000 are available for interior improvements and up to $25,000 for exterior work. Grants of up to $5,000 are available for sign upgrades, too.
Recipients are reimbursed for their expenses. Since the program launched in 2014, dozens of grants totaling more than $600,000 have been awarded.
One audience member, Carol Barden, questioned the grant for Tonality at the start of Monday's meeting. She expressed concern about the operation's financing and asked what would happen if the business closed after only a short time.
Village Administrator Eric Guenther said the grant still would benefit the village even if Tonality didn't last long because it would have helped pay for renovations that could be taken advantage of by a different company.