Restaurants, new construction of apartments and townhomes, strong schools and activities for families and seniors marked activity in Elmwood Park and River Grove in 2019.
Restaurants
“One of the most exciting things we have going is our restaurant scene along North Avenue,” Elmwood Park Mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano said. “Their business has increased through the addition of new parking, and Gringo and Blondie’s coming in.”
Restaurants who have previously remodeled saw results in 2019, according to Saviano.
“Since Jim and Pete’s remodeled, he’s doing tremendous,” Saviano said. “With his parking, he’s transformed it to a destination.”
Other Elmwood Park restaurants began renovating this year. “Donny G’s is also expanding,” Saviano said. “He does live entertainment; he’s a singer. On Thursday and Saturday, the place is absolutely packed. He needed more space.” The restaurant could also expand parking.
After filing for bankruptcy, Jeff Mauro’s Pork and Mindy’s barbecue restaurant won’t be coming to Elmwood Park.
“It’s unfortunate that he went bankrupt, because he was going to make that his flagship location,” Saviano said.
The Circle is another Elmwood Park dining destination.
“We’ve got 18 West, we’ve got Eggsperience; now, we’ve got the Union Tap and he’s doing phenomenal,” Saviano said.
In River Grove, residents can now stop by or drive through Starbucks, which opened in September 2019 at Grand and Thatcher avenues.
Housing
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New apartments in Elmwood Park’s Circle, luxury townhomes at Fullerton and 75th avenues, new homes going up, and plans to build condominiums and townhomes in River Grove near the former Holy Cross High School will bring people to Elmwood Park and River Grove in 2020.
Saviano and Elmwood Park Village Manager Paul Volpe said they’re excited about the continuing and planned construction.
“What’s really remarkable is the numbers of renovations,” Saviano said. “The most valuable asset you have is your housing stock.”
Construction is ongoing at the former Sears site at North and Harlem, after the Chicago City Council approved developer plans in July.
“We’re glad to see the recognition of that corner,” Volpe said. “That could have sat vacant for years, and look how fast things are moving.”
Volpe said Elmwood Park’s Public Works department keeps Elmwood Park well-maintained. “They power wash and keep things clean,” he said. “That’s one of our top priorities.”
This year, Volpe said Public Works resurfaced about a mile and added green alleyways.
Events and People
“We want to bring our residents out and give them an opportunity to know their neighbors and make new friends,” Saviano said. This year, he said bocce ball reached 80 teams, bringing more people to The Circle.
“There’s something happening almost every week,” Volpe said. “We keep a pretty busy calendar.”
Saviano said senior programs are seeing more participants, and that a new senior Halloween Dance took place in October.
In June, Rodger Loni retired after 45 years of service in the River Grove Police Department, and Michael L. Konwinski from the Franklin Park Police Department became River Grove’s new police chief.
Schools and Libraries
A strong housing market means support for schools through a healthy tax base, Saviano said, and he sees much to be proud of in Elmwood Park’s schools in 2019.
“I’m a product of Elm School and now they’re renovating that,” Saviano said, speaking of the remodeling and future construction that will lead to Elm School welcoming 6th grade through 8th grade students next year.
Since March 2019, Elmwood Park residents learned more about potential choices for a referendum.
“The board definitely wanted to follow the direction the community wanted to go,” District 401 Superintendent Nicolas Wade said, and residents learned more, giving a thorough assessment of each option.
“We have been able to accomplish a lot without having to go to the tax payers,” Wade said. “The scope of this project was so great that we had to go out and have that dialogue with the community.”`
Board approvals to move forward with a full-day kindergarten option and College and Career Pathways for students in 6th through 12th grades positioned the district’s students for success next year, Wade said.
In 2019, Saviano said a police officer began working specifically with schools.
“Not only is it great for public safety, it reinforces a relationship between young people and our police department,” he said.
The police officer helps schools, both public and private, stay secure, Saviano said.
“We’re very proud of our schools. They’re tremendous,” Saviano said. “With this referendum process they’re going through, I’m proud of how they’ve gained input from the residents.”
The Elmwood Park Library also received grants which it used to remodel its lobby, inviting residents to join library staff for an open house in early June.