2021 March/April Newsletter
Spring Into Action
A year into Covid, we still can’t believe that just six months after Blocktoberfest, our town and the rest of the world would become so quiet. This Spring feels extra hopeful as more people are vaccinated. And we are again given the opportunity to vote for our local leadership with the April 6 Consolidated Election (early voting now through April 5). FDG is celebrating its fourth anniversary this month. We often revisit our areas of focus to ensure our steering committee remains in agreement on our priorities. We have compiled a position statement as a reminder to our volunteers and our followers about our continued areas of focus. Much more below. Happy Spring!
FDG Statement for Upcoming Elections and the Downtown Business District
The Friends of Downtown Glenview is a narrowly focused interest group created to promote the health, vibrancy, and success of Glenview’s downtown business district. We are not aligned with any particular political party and as a 501(c)3 organization, we do not engage in political campaigns. However, as the only organization dedicated solely to downtown, we have an important role in providing education and developing community consensus.
The upcoming elections for Village President and Board of Trustees is an important inflection point for Glenview. The newly composed board will be receiving the results of the Glenview Connect discussions and recommendations from the consultants to revitalize downtown. We are participating in those discussions and look forward to seeing the recommendations.
In evaluating their choices, Glenview residents will look at many factors in addition to concerns for downtown. FDG believes the following factors should take precedence:
-The downtown deserves a dedicated interest group funded by the Village government to attract, promote, and market for the downtown district. Additionally, this entity could organize cross promotional opportunities and events. This interest group could be a part of government, a subset of the Chamber of Commerce, or a grassroots community group like FDG.
-The Village should consider creating a Development position within the Village government to proactively recruit new businesses to downtown and all Village business districts. Simply setting the stage for development through zoning has not resulted in the desired change downtown. A more proactive approach is required.
As the only citizens’ group dedicated to downtown, we will continue to participate in all avenues open to the public to influence change. It is crucial that Glenview residents also participate by voting for the candidates that best reflect our hopes for an exciting and vibrant future.
Future Possibilities
At the Glenview Connect virtual workshop on March 3, more specific plans for downtown revitalization sites were featured – including proposals for a restaurant overlooking an expanded River greenway (red square in photo). FDG representatives have been participating in this process to support our broader vision for downtown. A variety of scenarios for enhancing downtown were reviewed including the option below which would allow for an extended Riverwalk. This was only one of the scenarios presented and each option was evaluated at different levels of density and public cost. More information about this and other options can be found on the website, www.glenviewconnect.com and at this Link.
The next Village Board workshop regarding the Glenview Connect process has been rescheduled to April 15 at 7pm (moved from April 1). A draft of the Blueprint Project’s “Recommendations Guidebook” is scheduled to be reviewed at this final workshop.
Chamber Elevates Meghan Kearney
Meghan Kearney is stepping up to lead the Glenview Chamber of Commerce in the wake of Executive Director Betsy Baer’s retirement. A long-time resident of Glenview, Meghan has been with the Chamber for four years, with a focus on offering innovative solutions to help promote members’ services to the community. FDG looks forward to working with Meghan in her new role and wishes Betsy the best in her new chapter.
Get to Know … Alan Rubin of Glenview Cycle
What sets your business apart?
No question, it’s our customer service. When you walk into our shop you will get a friendly, honest opinion about your existing bike’s needs or the right fit for a new bike. Our employees are the best – they love what they do. Some have been with us a long time, but others worked here and now have careers in medicine, graphic design and photography. When they come back to visit it’s a reminder of the family of employees we’ve made through the years.
Why Glenview?
I grew up in Ravinia, so I know the area pretty well. I worked for a bike distributor for years and decided that I wanted to be on the other side of the counter. Bike shops are happy places, they have a great smell and energy when you walk in the door. So in 2004, I saw an opportunity to open a cycle store in Glenview after the people who owned the Schwinn shop retired after a great run. We started on Waukegan Rd. and moved to our spot on Harlem a few years later. May 1 is our 17-year anniversary and I think Glenview has the nicest people around.
You might be surprised to know…
You would think that last year would’ve been a great year for us with everyone working from home and more time on their hands. But last year was hard – we had great demand, but inventory was low, we could not get bikes in stock and we had a hard time with tires, tubes and seats too. Things are looking up – we’re heading into our busy season. We do a lot of our roughly 1,000 tune-ups a year around this time.
What’s your favorite quote?
Keeping Glenview rolling since 2004
