A public hearing on a proposal to create a special service area to pay for a parking lot adjacent to a new Target store at 95th Street and Keeler Avenue has been set for May 24.
The proposal calls for the village to buy a completed 137-spot parking lot from Target for more than $4 million. The lot, just north of the Target, is now vacant. A special service area would allow for the lot to be paid for with a tax on all goods sold at Target.
“There is no incentive being paid to Target,” said Village Manager Joe Faber during a Village Board meeting this week. He also noted that the village has a similar agreement in place with the nearby Home Depot, Jewel and Portillo’s.
Also, Faber said, the new lot is directly across from Keeler Park, which does not have enough parking. Having the lot owned by the village will ensure that the public is allowed to park in the lot when they are using the park.
But many area residents and one trustee oppose the plan. Trustee Steve Rosenbaum, who represents the area, said the entire Target project will harm the neighborhood, and the price being paid for the lot is “considerable.”
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The public hearing on the special service area will begin at 7:30 p.m. May 24 in the boardroom of the Village Administration Center, 9446 S. Raymond Ave.