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Members of the city’s Economic Development Committee have taken the biggest step by establishing a program that honors former businesses. Committee members voted to allocate up to $100,000 in funding for the project at a meeting on Wednesday, July 27.
Council member Clare Kelly (1st) proposed creating the program, which officials hope will use as a key component in the city’s economic development strategy to retain longtime Evanston businesses.
Credit: Bob Seidenberg
Under the program, the city will establish a legacy business registry that will publicly recognize the contributions of such businesses to the city.
The proposed program may include a dedicated website with a business directory, featured businesses, and city recognition – such as flyers, branding, window signage, a proclamation from the mayor, or a combination of these, to focus on business.
Grants can cost up to $25,000 per business, or $10,000 per property owner, officials said.
He‘Good and challenging times’
In the year At the July 27 meeting, several longtime business owners supported the program, including Cheryl Giudice, owner of Hecky’s Barbecue, 1902 Green Bay Ave. “Hiki in 2010 When they passed in May 2020, I was tasked with overseeing our plan to renovate the restaurant,” Judge told committee members.
“Hickey opened on October 13, 1982,” she said. “So it was too late to update. It was a very expensive job.”
The judge said the city appreciates the support it is giving to long-standing businesses.
“We are old businessmen. Our businesses have been through good and challenging times. While we recognize the need to continually bring in new businesses to grow the economic base, this initiative to recognize and support legacy businesses is a vote of confidence and recognition of our roles and serves to bolster our spirits as we strive to recover from the economic challenges of the pandemic. challenge”
She added a quote from her husband, Hecky, who was one of the prominent figures in the community at the time of his death. “I’m a member of the B club,” she says when asked how she’s been in business for so long and how she feels about competition. “‘I’ll be here when they come, and I’ll be here when they go.'”
Also Dave Glatt, owner of Dave’s Italian Kitchen at 815 Noyes St., in his 50th year in business in Evanston, and John Cahill, Sr., of John Cahill Inc., 1515 Church St., a family-owned plumbing business dating back to the 1890s.
Cahill, in a letter read at the committee meeting, said: “Legacy Businesses has a very strong and long-term commitment to churches, synagogues, schools, service clubs and many others that support young people and support our future.
“A lot of our businesses haven’t been here as long as our company, but just like giving years of time and money,” he added.
The committee’s initial allocation of up to $100,000 will be used to support a number of activities, the city’s economic development manager, Paul Zalmezak, said in a memo.
These include having a local artist design an identification card and have it produced by a local vendor; Creating a brand identity and logo associated with the design and setting up a website domain.
Future funding for the program depends on the city council’s economic development department increasing its budget to accommodate the new program, he said.
Kelly, whose ward includes part of the downtown business district, meanwhile, has organized meetings with interested minority community members and economic development workers to make recommendations on how the program should work, Zalmeczak said, determining eligibility criteria (eg, years in business, cultural relevance.)
San Francisco, the first city to establish a heritage registry, offers annual grants to businesses (up to 300). Under that program, gifts can be up to $500 per employee, as well as a $4.50-per-square-foot gift to property owners for 10-year lease extensions for tenants, the staff reported.
According to a staff memo about the San Francisco program, grants are up to $50,000 per business and $22,500 for property owners.
Since its inception, the program has helped more than 230 businesses and nonprofit organizations.
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