2025
JAN
FEB
JANUARY - MARCH
• Economic Development Commission Meeting
• BDC Annual Meeting
• Publication of the BDC’s Annual Report
• Jury Committee Selected – Berwyn Shops Event
• 1 Berwyn Sprout Vendor Event
• Cook County Small Business Source 2025 BSO Kickoff
• Cook County and BDC Pulse Check
• Renewal of Finish Line Grant in Harlem, Roosevelt, and Depot TIF Districts
• 2024 End of Year FLG and CCRG Reporting Submitted
• Foodservice Sanitation Manager Certification Class
• Canva Webinar Series Part 3
• Berwyn Magazine Issue 1 Published
• Roosevelt Road Corridor Study Started
• 2024 Cohort Graduation – Berwyn Shops Event
• Vendor Selection Day – Berwyn Shops Event
• Vendor’s First Visit on Site - Berwyn Shops Event
• 2025 Cohort Orientation – Berwyn Shops Event
• 2 Berwyn Sprout Vendor Events
• Economic Development Commission Meeting
• Tax Increment Financing Joint Review Board Meetings
• Know the Value of Your Business Webinar
• Commercial Loan Commission Meeting
• Women in Business
MARCH
• 2025 Vendors Announced – Berwyn Shops Event
• Item Swap and Inventory Day – Berwyn Shops Event
• 1 Berwyn Sprout Vendor Event
• Berwyn Shops Partnership Renewals
• Berwyn Sprout Lead Manager Meeting
• Economic Development Commission Meeting
• Business Roundtable: Depot District
• Cook County and BDC Pulse Check
• 1 Commercial Corridor Walk
• 2024 Q3 & Q4 Vacancy Report Published
• 2 LeadCare Cook County Webinars
• Advantage Illinois Loan Program Re-Launched
• Business After Hours
• Women In Business
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As the Executive Director of the Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC), I would like to welcome you to our 1st Quarter Report for 2025. Within this report you will find valuable information on how the BDC has contributed to economic development in the City of Berwyn.
2025 started off strong with the successful graduation of the 2024 Berwyn Shops and Berwyn Boutique cohorts. Whether in Cermak Plaza or on Roosevelt Road, the vendors worked hard to produce unique collaborations, facilitate dynamic events, and expand their audiences. Once again, congratulations to the graduates and a big thank you to our partners for their continued support!
Beyond Project Homegrown, the BDC renewed the Finish Line Grant with the support of the City of Berwyn. Starting in January, the budget increased to $750,000 and the program expanded to include additional industries regardless of their established date. With these changes, over $55,000 has already been committed to 4 renovation projects throughout Berwyn’s 3 TIF districts in Q1.
In addition to financial resources, the BDC continued to connect local entrepreneurs to timely educational opportunities and tailored business advising. For example, the team facilitated 208 one-on-one sessions and 7 informational events, covering topics such as Canva, ADA-compliance, knowing the value of a business, and more! The team even collaborated with the Illinois Restaurant Association and LeadCare Cook County to offer a Foodservice Sanitation Class and lead line replacement webinars, respectively. Stay tuned for additional programming and classes!
Finally, I am excited to share that we are preparing for an updated Roosevelt Road Plan. In fact, the City of Berwyn is officially collaborating with the Village of Oak Park to complete a joint municipality study of the Roosevelt Road Corridor. In Q1, the BDC team worked closely with Oak Park to secure third-party consultants and set goals for the project.
Overall, we are proud of the Berwyn community and excited for what is to come in 2025!
Sincerely,
David Hulseberg
PROJECT HOMEGROWN
Project Homegrown saw incredible milestones during Q1. In fact, preparations for the 4th season of the Berwyn Shops are now in full swing. In February, a jury of 11 community members listened to pitches, tested sample products, and reviewed business plans to select the 12 new entrepreneurs.
Since then, the vendors have been busy attending training sessions, submitting business license applications, and designing their shops. We cannot wait for the mini storefronts to reopen in May!
Sprout has also felt supported by the Berwyn community! In Q1, this homegrown project welcomed 3 new vendors and sales surpassed $40,000, with Valentine's Day bringing in lots of new and returning customers. We are proud of these budding entrepreneurs!
CONTRACT
A. Business Attraction (New Business Prospects)
a. The BDC provided information to 251 new business prospects on land, buildings, demographics, labor force, housing, education, infrastructure, and other relevant information.
b. The BDC agreed to perform the following business attraction services to aid prospective businesses and developers:
i. BDC staff reviewed existing incentive programs to make recommendations and provide feedback from the development community. The BDC continued tracking feedback by way of commercial transfer stamps, business licenses, and building permit touches. This information is provided to the City of Berwyn by way of the Vacant Properties Report and Building Permit Report on a semi-annual basis.
ii. The BDC continued to market the Finish Line Grant Program in Berwyn’s Roosevelt, Harlem, and Depot TIF Districts. In 2025, the BDC set aside $250,000 in the Roosevelt TIF, $250,000 in the Harlem TIF, and $250,000 to the Depot TIF.
a. The BDC committed $55,090 in Finish Line Grants to 4 projects throughout Q1 of 2025.
B. Business Retention and Expansion (Existing Business Prospects)
a. The BDC retention program identified the needs of existing businesses in the following ways:
i. The BDC provided information over 39,776 times via email and phone to existing businesses on economic, demographic, or commercial real estate. Some businesses were contacted with multiple touches, hence the large amount of retention information shared. The primary focus in Q3 was connecting businesses to educational opportunities and sharing financial resources, such as the Sanitation Class, Canva Webinar Series, LeadCare Cook County Program, and the Finish Line Grant.
ii. The BDC updated information on Berwyn’s economic profile, including the available properties map, vacancy information to aldermen, and sales tax data in our annual and quarterly reports. The BDC website was also updated to reflect change in resources and policies from national, state, and local guidance.
iii. The BDC continued to maintain a database of all Berwyn businesses and work with the Permit Administrator to collect business licenses.
iv. The BDC conducted 1 corridor walk, 6 educational sessions, and 1 business corridor roundtable. The roundtable focused on the Depot District.
C. Miscellaneous
a. The BDC operates the Commercial Loan and the Advantage Illinois Program in conjunction with the City of Berwyn and Illinois DCEO, respectively. Together, these loan pools assist Berwyn businesses with financing options. In Q1, the Advantage IL application reopened with updated exhibits.
b. The BDC celebrated the successful graduation of the entire 2024 Berwyn Shops cohort, as well as accepted applications for the 2025 season. During Q1, both the 11 jurors and the 12 new vendors were selected. Furthermore, the BDC renewed Project Homegrown Partners, as well as onboarded new vendors and supported 4 events at Berwyn Sprout. Sprout vendors saw over $38k in sales in Q1!
c. The BDC renewed its contract as a Community Navigator with the Cook County Small Business Source. As part of the contract, the BDC connects businesses to resources, as well as provides free one-on-one advising sessions to business owners. In Q1, the BDC team facilitated over 288 advising sessions and received about $70,000 for their efforts.
d. At the end of 2024, City Council approved a joint-municipality study of the Roosevelt Road Corridor between the Village of Oak Park and the City of Berwyn. In Q1, third-party consultants were selected, launching the planning phase of the study.
e. Since the launch of the Vacancy program, 161 vacant properties have been inspected, 38 have appealed, 24 have registered and paid, and 67 are occupied. Tickets were issued to unresponsive property owners. Moving forward, the Vacancy Ordinance Program will continue to inform and be reflected in the Vacancy Reports.
f. In general, the BDC leadership encourages professional growth. As such, the economic development team participated in seminars, summits, and courses in Q1. Of note, the team joined the ILCMA Winter and ITIA conferences.
Berwyn Development Corporation
Berwyn Shops Cohort Orientation
Carbone Pizzeria Americano Business Roundtable: Depot District on March 26th
CHAMBER
The BDC is excited to share its progress as we close Quarter 1. Membership has grown to 195, with 11 new members joining, and retention rates for Q1 are at 67%. Event attendance also increased significantly, reaching a total of 187 participants.
Looking back, we focused on maintaining the momentum. Events included networking mixers, workshops, and outreach programs designed to help businesses thrive and foster connections among residents and entrepreneurs. These initiatives aimed to strengthen the community and support local business growth.
67% RETENTION
THANK YOU!
When businesses and communities work together, amazing things happen. Thank you to our board for fostering teamwork and growth. By staying engaged and dedicated, we can strengthen our community and create exciting opportunities for everyone. The future looks bright, and we invite you to join us in building lasting success that benefits all.
The BDC’s email campaigns are split up into 4 major categories, Economic Development, Chamber, Why Berwyn, and Project Homegrown. By curating specific audiences we are able to make sure that the correct information is being delivered to correct people. Along with designing specific emails for defined audiences the emails are designed to improve engagement with our social media, website, and in person communication.
BDC ANNUAL MEETING
We’re excited to share that this year’s Annual Meeting saw an incredible turnout, with 126 registrations.! The event brought together professionals from across the community to connect, share ideas, and collaborate on ways to foster growth. Watching so many attendees engage in meaningful discussions was a testament to the importance of these gatherings in strengthening our network and driving progress.
8,060 Q4 +96 New Subscribers
