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player ready...Colleen Dunlavy wants her customers to know she’s not going out of business — just moving.
But Sylvan Learning Center, a tutoring business that has been in Homewood for more than 25 years, isn’t going far: It’s staying in the same shopping center on Halsted Street, downsizing from 5,000 square feet to 2,500, which is “still plenty of room,” Dunlavy said.
On June 1, the business will move from a shopping center at 17938 Halsted St. to 17818 Halsted St.
“It’s the same parking lot,” she said. “I can see it from here.”
Dunlavy’s Homewood business is one of more than 750 Sylvan locations worldwide. Sylvan provides tutoring services to children and adults, and preparation for college entrance and school achievement exams, according to its website.
Dunlavy said she opened her franchise in 1990 and moved to the shopping center in 1996 when it was nearly empty. Economic development on Halsted Street has caused rent to rise, and the landlord could lease the space to another business for more money than her business is paying, she said.
“We’ve enjoyed the large space, but we want to keep costs in line for our students and parents,” Dunlavy said.
Dunlavy said she’s excited about the move and it has been fun going through old files and photos of students and people who have worked there. The business works with about 145 students, she said.
At a meeting Tuesday, the village board granted Dunlavy a special-use permit that allows her to operate a tutoring business. When she moved to the current location in 1996, the village did not require a permit.
Homewood Mayor Richard Hofeld said the village is already talking to the developer about businesses possibly moving into the space.
“They assured me that they were ardently looking for someone to fill the space,” he said.
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