The Oswego Village Board recently awarded a grant to fund substantial renovations to a downtown property at 5 S. Madison St. that will be home to a new pizza restaurant.
The applicant EJ Vision LLC, which owns the property, was awarded $40,000 in grant funding from the village for a “fast casual wood-fired pizza” place called Billy Bricks, which already has several locations operating in the Chicago area.
The general purpose of the village’s Economic Development Incentive Award program is to aid in property improvements which enhance Oswego’s downtown business district, Oswego Economic Development Director Kevin Leighty said in a report to trustees.
The building, across from the Oswego Public Library, has been vacant since 2023, Leighty said.
“As a result of their recent deal with Billy Bricks, the applicant will be completing a substantial buildout and interior renovations to accommodate a new restaurant tenant. They’re requesting the maximum $40,000 grant award for their project which is valued at approximately $130,000,” Leighty said in a report before the board’s vote.
The scope of work includes the installation of a grease trap, a new fire sprinkler and alarm monitoring system for the site and water and sewer service line upgrades to support the new building improvements, he said.
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Another application for grant funds for the restaurant project will likely be coming, the economic development director said.
“Due to the extent of the work needed to convert this building to a functional restaurant space, the tenant Billy Bricks will be seeking additional grant funding independently from the landlord,” Leighty said.
“Billy Bricks has its own separate project budget which will involve the installation of an exterior walk-in cooler, substantial electrical and plumbing upgrades, construction of a commercial kitchen and a complete reconfiguration of the interior layout to optimize operations,” Leighty said.
“While it is not typically common to receive multiple applications concurrently for the same property, it is permitted under the program criteria so long as the applications identify separate eligible expenses,” he said.
The property was purchased last year, he said.
“This is going to bring a new mom-and-pop type of restaurant into our downtown. I cannot be more thrilled about that,” Oswego Village President Ryan Kauffman said. “This is what the downtown grant program is for, to encourage and incentivize new businesses to the community.”
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.