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Vernon Hills village board candidates: Mall incentives needed

In a town that relies heavily on sales tax revenue to operate, the four candidates running for Vernon Hills village board agree the changes needed for the 1970s-era Hawthorn Mall most likely will involve incentives.

Incumbents Karimar "Kari" Brown, Mike Marquardt and David Oppenheim are joined by newcomer Stacey Pristas in the race for three 4-year terms.

Marquardt, a buildings maintenance specialist with the Hawthorn Woods public works department, was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2004. Oppenheim, a pediatrician, was elected to a 2-year term in 2017. Brown, a health manager at BearsFit and CEO of a professional volleyball team in her native Puerto Rico, was appointed to fill a vacancy this past September. Pristas, a regional real estate property manager with 25 years' experience, said she wants to get off the sidelines and advocates for more transparency in village government.

Each has varying visions for the mall, as concepts for restaurants and other buildings have or will be pitched to replace expanses of parking lots on its periphery.

Responses are from interviews and candidate questionnaires and are presented in the order they were asked.

• Pristas said she would like to see a concept similar to Old Orchard or Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, with walkable areas to maintain an indoor presence and create one outdoors.

Features could include green space, walk-up retail stores, water/sprinkler feature for kids, a lake with motorized mini-sailboats, outdoor dining and live music in warm weather, for example, to elicit a "neighborhood downtown" feel, she added.

"Redeveloping it in a more modern feel will keep the mall in existence and will attract residents to it. Yes, I do feel incentives work. It's a matter of fact," she said. "Sometimes you do have to incentivize developers to do things but at the same token keeping the community in mind."

• Marquardt said the village doesn't have enough senior housing, and he would like to see that as a component of a mall redevelopment. The mall owner is considering a residential development like that adjoining Mellody Farm to the east, but the type at this point is undetermined.

In general, Marquardt said he would like to see more walkable outdoor elements and features. He noted the village increased its sales tax by a quarter point as an incentive for work done by a previous mall owner.

"Will there be other incentives? I don't know. I'm not against them because I don't want to see the mall go away," he said.

• Brown said any redevelopment should have an outdoor component.

"I think that would be great. I think senior living would be great, too," she said. Having seniors living either connected or close to the mall would be safer and attract more people, she added.

Sales tax revenue allows the village to operate without imposing a property tax, and incentives will be needed for mall work, she added.

"In my opinion, if it helps the mall become what it once was, it will benefit all of us as a village," she said.

• Oppenheim said he wants to work with mall owners to maintain Hawthorn as an important regional resource and landmark. "I'd like to see a facelift, modernize the facility," he said.

Incentives likely would be part of the package, Oppenheim said.

"I would be willing to vote for some assistance as long as it's truly meaningful and not just a handout they would take and run off with," he added. "I know we'll be asked to contribute some. It's just a question of what the plans are and how much they're looking for in assistance."

Oppenheim said he doesn't have a preference as to type, but the village may have to limit residential units so as not to tax school systems.

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