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New businesses coming to downtown Fox Lake

Fox Lake village leaders are crediting a streamlined application process and downtown beautification projects for helping to attract a host of new businesses within the next year.

Five new restaurants and a new car dealership are planned to open in or near the downtown area, Mayor Donny Schmit said.

"I believe the economy is improving," Schmit said. "I also think it shows what consistency in the office and hard work can do."

Pushing beautification programs, such as the facade improvement program and Promote Fox Lake, have helped in selling the downtown area to potential business owners, he added.

"We have worked hard to make Fox Lake a place businesses want to invest in," Schmit said.

"This is part of the payoff of all that hard work."

Community Development Director Donovan Day said Culver's, Studio Hotrods Roadhouse, Perricone's - A Soup & Sandwich Joint, and Lucky Bernies are restaurants expected to open in or near downtown Fox Lake within the next year.

The owners of the popular Tommy's restaurant in Spring Grove will open an as-yet unnamed, 60-seat restaurant across from the Metra station on Nippersink Boulevard.

Ray Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram also will open on Route 12, officials said.

In addition, Day said Dunkin' Donuts will move out of its current location at the southeast corner of Route 12 and Grand Avenue and into a free-standing building across the street.

He said a pie shop is slated to move into the space Dunkin' Donuts is leaving.

"I think it can be directly attributed to the administration bringing in a professional team into the village to support the business community," Day said. "It let people know we (Fox Lake) are ready for business."

Day said shortening the time potential businesses owners spend in front of planning and zoning boards and a new philosophy on how business owners are treated are some of the changes made in the three years since he took over as community development director.

"It used to take businesses about six months to get in front of the village board, but we've shortened that time significantly," he said. "Culver's was in front off the village board within 30 days."

The village has a goal to fill empty storefronts and vacant properties in town and to clean up Route 12 to entice additional business owners, Day said.

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