Former Arlington Heights Mayor James T. Ryan, advocate for downtown growth, dies

James T. Ryan, the former Arlington Heights mayor who helped shape redevelopment of the village's downtown in the 1970s and 1980s, has died.

Ryan, 85, served as mayor from 1975 to 1989 and was an elected Cook County judge from 1996 to 2004, presiding over cases at the Rolling Meadows courthouse. His long political and judicial career was also marked by some controversy.

He died Friday of natural causes.

"It's a passing of a piece of history in this town," said Ernie Blomquist, the longtime village prosecutor for Arlington Heights who came aboard when Ryan was mayor.

Born in Yonkers, New York, James Ryan came to the Northwest suburbs after law school at the University of Wisconsin. He joined the Arlington Heights plan commission in 1967, then was elected to the village board in 1970 before becoming mayor.

Carol Ryan, his wife of 45 years and political adviser, described him as a "driving force" behind several developments in the community, from helping bring Lake Michigan water to town to assisting Arlington International Racecourse in securing a tax break to reopen after fire destroyed the grandstand in 1985.

He also oversaw the creation of the village's first tax-increment financing districts on the north and south ends of town to help fund redevelopment by funneling some property taxes to it. Around the same time, he was part of the debate over the creation of the 15-story, much-opposed Dunton Tower high-rise.

He told the Daily Herald in 2000 that downtown redevelopment was like playing a contemplative game of checkers, doing things one step at a time and praying you're making the right move. Already at the turn of the century, with new businesses, quick-selling condominiums and the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, some of his earlier efforts were starting to pay off.

"I had some doubt as to whether we ever would achieve that," Ryan said in the 2000 interview. "This will be successful. There's no doubt about that."

Blomquist said it was Ryan's legal background and power of persuasion that he used effectively to get things done. Downtown redevelopment was only a germ of an idea when Ryan was a village trustee, but then as mayor, he was able to get trustees to coalesce around his vision to transform the central business district.

"A lot of our skyline in downtown Arlington Heights is owed to his thoughtfulness and planning and foresight he had," Blomquist said. "He saw all the towns along the Northwestern railroad starting to crumble and fall apart, and he didn't want that for Arlington."

"He pushed and pulled and thought it out and put together a nice plan. It's why Arlington is the jewel it is among Northwest suburban communities."

Ryan, a patent attorney by practice, started most days at 5 a.m. at his desk at village hall, before jumping on the train to go to his law office, then returning at night to village hall.

"He had a work ethic," Blomquist said. "I don't know where he got his energy from."

Ryan, a one-time Young Republican who became heavily involved in the Wheeling Township Republican Organization, had higher political aspirations.

He was the GOP nominee for Illinois attorney general in 1986, but he dropped out amid allegations he struck his wife, who recanted, and an ex-wife, who did not. Ryan denied he hit either woman.

Later as a circuit court judge, he came under fire for several courtroom confrontations and what critics described as a short temper. In 2002, he overcame calls from bar associations and numerous newspaper editorial boards to deny him another term on the bench, when voters retained him as judge by a slim margin.

"Jim ran a tight ship. He didn't take any guff," Blomquist said. "He would rankle some lawyers. But if you were professional and prepared and had a righteous case and legal argument, he would find for the correct party."

Ryan later moved to Inverness, but "our hearts always remained in Arlington Heights," Carol Ryan said.

She said a celebration of life is planned for the spring, when she's hoping to rededicate a plaza that was named for him near the Arlington Heights Metra station.