New business license activity remains strong
The Village has issued 100+ new business licenses in each of the last four years, totaling a full 441 new businesses from 2021 – 2024. Through the first quarter of this year, the Village issued 18 new business licenses. The 18 new businesses include the following: one bookstore; one training studio; one real estate business; one physical therapy business; one smoke shop; one daycare; one retail boutique; one homecare services business; two restaurants; two home-based businesses; two art-related businesses; and four salon/spas. A full list of new business licenses that are issued can be found at www.pickoakpark.com/newbusiness.
Liberator Illinois to apply for special use permit to open a cannabis dispensary
Liberator Illinois will be applying for a special use permit to operate a cannabis retail dispensary at 7045 North Ave. The minority-owned, multi-state operator of cannabis dispensaries is headquartered in Evanston. Liberator currently operate stores in Seattle and San Francisco and is progressing on two store locations in Chicago. They are now in the process of applying for the Oak Park special use permit, a requirement of all new cannabis dispensaries since February 2020.
The Village’s Development Services staff anticipates the application for the proposed dispensary, which would be called The Bakeree, will be before the Village’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) in either July or August 2025. After consideration by the ZBA, its recommendation will be forwarded to the Village Board for final consideration. If approved, Liberator Illinois officials have indicated their intention to purchase the property on North Avenue and invest significant resources in both interior build-out and exterior façade improvements.
Take charge of your health at the Health and Wellness Fair
Come out and experience one of the biggest health and wellness events of 2025! The ninth annual Community Health and Wellness Fair is presented by Rush Oak Park Hospital and organized by the OPRF Chamber of Commerce. More than 80 health and wellness professionals will be on hand, with family-friendly activities, giveaways and no-cost health screenings available. This free event takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 at the Community Recreation Center, 229 Madison St. More information is available here.
|
Make REAL change, not spare change
The Village recently launched the “Make REAL Change, Not Spare Change” campaign with the aim of shifting the narrative around panhandling by encouraging meaningful and impactful ways to support those in need. The Village is partnering with the Oak Park–River Forest Chamber of Commerce, which is serving as the initiative’s fiscal agent. As donations are received by the Chamber, money will be given to the Village in order to purchase hotel and food vouchers to be used to support unhoused residents in the community.
Beyond financial contributions, the campaign emphasizes community education about existing resources to combat homelessness. The campaign aims to engage local businesses and residents in strategic solutions, empower individuals experiencing homelessness with access to coordinated care and improve public safety. By focusing on these comprehensive strategies, Oak Park strives to create a safer, more compassionate, and resourceful community. The campaign exemplifies the Village's commitment to fostering meaningful support for those in need, ensuring that our actions lead to real, lasting change. To learn more visit www.oak-park.us/realchange.
|
Crown's Fish and Chicken arrives at 420 N. Austin Blvd.
The Village is happy to welcome owner Mohammad Ahmed and his new Crown’s Fish and Chicken carry-out restaurant to the Lake Street at Austin Boulevard Business District. Beginning May 1, to order delicious take-out, call 630.299.6476. Welcome to the Oak Park business community!
Visit Oak Park continues producing results
Visit Oak Park is the state-certified tourism marketing entity representing Oak Park and nearby communities, and one of its most important duties is the promotion of local tourism attractions, events, hotels, Airbnbs and businesses. For its efforts, Visit Oak Park has had a lot of success over the last several years. To quantify success, consider its search engine optimization (SEO) growth, which has improved from $79,200 year over year in 2022 to $255,100 in 2023 and $507,900 in 2024. SEO Value refers to the estimated monetary worth or potential benefit an entity’s website gains from its organic search engine ranking. Another important data point is organic traffic (OR), which quantifies the number of website visitors coming from unpaid search results. It also represents how much money is needed to invest in digital ads to ensure the necessary website traffic gains to successfully promote tourism attractions, events, hotels and businesses. The primary factor contributing to SEO is OR attributed to a website’s optimized content and ranking.
This quarter, Visit Oak Park’s OR was 71%. Web pages such as Visit Oak Park’s, with high SEO value, rank higher on search engines, attract more organic customer traffic and drive long-term tourism results without a reliance on paid advertising. Organic traffic tends to convert at a higher rate compared to other channels, including paid ads and social media. Visit Oak Park Executive Director Annie Coakley stated, “This information continues to show how Visit Oak Park is investing local funds wisely to the benefit of Oak Park and its neighboring communities.”
|
Grant program for small restaurants and food-based businesses
The Smart Energy Design Assistance Center at the University of Illinois (SEDAC), together with partners, is offering an exciting grant opportunity to small restaurants and food-focused businesses with the hopes of reducing exposure to harmful chemicals for customers and employees. PFAS, per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are harmful chemicals sometimes found in the coatings of single-use foodware that can leach into foods and beverages and potentially cause serious health risks. This fully-funded grant program aims to provide businesses with a no-cost foodware assessment, access to safer substitution options, up to $300 of complementary PFAS-free foodware products for testing, information on composting food waste and recognition of the business’ sustainability efforts. For more information on the program and ways to participate, visit SEDAC's website.
New Holiday Inn Express moving toward completion
Development Services Administrative Officer Noemy Diaz (from left), Downtown Oak Park Executive Director Shanon Williams, Visit Oak Park Executive Director Annie Coakley and Development Services Director Craig Failor recently toured the ongoing work at what will be Oak Park’s newest hotel, the Holiday Inn Express at 1140 Lake St. Construction of the Holiday Inn Express hotel is progressing rapidly with many of the rooms completely framed out with completed bathrooms and closets. The new 68-room hotel will be located in a good portion of what is historically known as the Oak Leaves Building. The first floor of the hotel building has a Nando’s Peri-Peri restaurant at 1138 Lake St. The hotel lobby will be on the second floor of the building with guest rooms on the second, third, fourth and fifth floors. Additional hotel rooms will be placed in the building’s annex. There will be both a Lake Street entrance and a pedestrian pedway access entrance from the Village’s Holley Court Garage. The Village continues to appreciate the investment of owner Azim Hemani as he works to give new life to this building.
|
Temporary retail pop-up on Marion Street
This month, a temporary retail pop-up has been occupying the former Ten Thousand Village’s space at 124 N. Marion St. The Village granted a temporary use permit to the local owner of Sugarcup Trading and 16 Suitcases to open a short-duration pop-up store in this vacant space. Oak Park businesses interested in opening a short-term pop-up business in Oak Park can contact either Cameron Davis or Noemy Diaz at business@oak-park.us.
Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program (C-FIP) continues making a difference
The Village’s successful Commercial Façade Improvement Grant Program (C-FIP) helped to reinvigorate the facades of nine commercial businesses in 2024, matching the previous record for most projects completed in a year. A total of almost $60,000 was provided to those nine businesses in the form of C-FIP grants. Over the past seven years, this grant program has helped fund 36 commercial façade improvements, with more than $175,400 paid out in grant assistance for improvements totaling more than $760,700. The C-FIP program assists local commercial business or property owners with improvements like new signage, awnings, lighting, windows, doors, tuckpointing, etc. For more information about the program, contact either Cameron Davis or Noemy Diaz at business@oak-park.us.
|
