Access Point Fall 2022

Dear Residents,

Summer was a busy one here in Des Plaines. With COVID becoming part of our everyday reality, we were able to reintroduce many of our beloved summer events. It was so great to see our neighbors out in the community for some fun. We are looking forward to more activities both sponsored by the City and our friends around town. Whether it’s a walk through the Forest Preserve or attending a community event, there is so much to do in Des Plaines. Check out our community calendar at desplaines.org to see all of the upcoming activities.

You’ve probably seen all of the changes happening along Miner Street. From the Des Plaines Theatre to the new residential developments, the City Council’s vision for re-imagined growth is well underway. One of the key strategies to achieve this goal is making downtown a desirable destination for shopping, entertainment, dining and living. Our Economic Development team and City leaders have been hard at work to attract economic investment to the Miner Street corridor. With the approval of required zoning changes to the property at Graceland and Webford, changes are on the horizon. The City anticipates purchasing the property at 1460 Miner Street known as the Leela building. We will begin renovations to bring the building up to code and make the units more attractive to retail tenants. We are excited about the potential for our community and are looking forward to continued growth and development downtown and beyond.

The City is able to make these investments because we are in a strong financial position. Our team has reduced debt and responsibly invested funds for infrastructure and capital improvement projects, instead of incurring bond-related debt. We have a strong substantial cash reserve to help us when unforeseen circumstances, like a pandemic, put us in difficult situations.

We are now in the budget planning process for the City, and we will continue to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. Shortly, the proposed budget will be posted on our website and we’ll host a series of public meetings to discuss our plans for 2023 and beyond. As always, our team will work to deliver the highest standard of public service excellence to make our community stronger.

Sincerely,

Goczkowski

City Snapshots

A Memorial Day to Remember

Each year, our local veterans host a Memorial Day Ceremony at Lake Park to recognize those who served in the United States Armed Forces and have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

This year’s ceremony was even more meaningful because it featured a ribbon cutting on the newly renovated facilities at Lake Park. The renovations were a collaboration of the Des Plaines Park District and Des Plaines Chamber of Commerce ‘Back to Work Bootcamp’ supported by an investment from Rivers Casino. Stop by the park to check out the updated facilities.

JULY

Fire Department Members Sworn In

The Des Plaines Fire Department recently added eight new names to its Firefighter/Paramedic roster. The Fire Department hosted a swearing-in ceremony for its newly celebrated promotions along with other members of the fire department.

Pictured above: Back Row: (L to R) Battalion Chief Iorio, Deputy Chief Matzl, Deputy Chief Foster, Fire Chief Anderson, Lieutenant Zack, Division Chief Ciaburri, Division Chief Rogers, and Battalion Chief Rice.

Front Row: (L to R) Firefighter/Paramedics Bourke, Learch, Repple, Shine, Lubash, McAbee, Watson and Reinert. Congratulations to all of you!

In honor of Pride Month in Des Plaines, community allies came together to raise the pride flag at the Des Plaines Civic Center. In a symbol of support for our

Public Library Executive Director Jo Bonell, Des Plaines Public Library Board President Dr. Gregory Sarlo, Mayor Andrew Goczkowski and Police Chief Dave Anderson celebrated all of our residents with this display of inclusivity in the community.

Scan the QR code to watch a quick clip.

National Night Out

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the Des Plaines Police and Fire Departments were delighted to bring back National Night Out. National Night Out (NNO) is a nationwide event meant to encourage community and interaction with police and fire in a fun and safe environment. This year’s NNO took place at the Des Plaines Police Department allowing us to give tours of the facility. The evening also included car seat installations, K9 demonstrations and plenty of fun for all ages.

Ward Map Changes

The City of Des Plaines is divided into eight wards. Each ward is represented by a City resident who is elected to a four year term. Federal mandates require that ward maps be revised every ten years in conjunction with the decennial Census. The 2020 Census data shows Des Plaines’ highest population to date, topping 60,000. As a result, new boundaries were determined that reflect population growth and shifts over the past decade so each district has approximately the same number of people. New City ward boundaries were adopted by City Council in May.

The Illinois State Legislature was responsible for redistricting the congressional and IL State and House districts.

New ward boundaries will be in effect for the upcoming local elections and your ward may have changed. To see the current ward maps visit desplaines.org/maps or check our online Community Portal: desplaines.org/communityportal. Type your address into the search bar, and click the tabs to find ward information.

City

First Ward

Mark Lysakowski mlysakowski@desplaines.org 847.514.8526

Second Ward Colt Moylan cmoylan@desplaines.org 847.530.3345

Third Ward Sean Oskerka soskerka@desplaines.org 847.514.6318

Fourth Ward Artur Zadrozny azadrozny@desplaines.org 847.894.4719

Fifth Ward Carla Brookman cbrookman@desplaines.org 847.812.6463

Sixth Ward Malcolm Chester mchester@desplaines.org 847.372.1097

Seventh Ward Patsy Smith psmith@desplaines.org 847.878.5289

Eighth Ward Shamoon Ebrahimi sebrahimi@desplaines.org 847.878.5291

Upcoming Election Info

and Precinct

This November 8 is the Gubernatorial Election. In Spring of 2023, several other local elections are taking place, including wards 2, 4, 6 and 8 in Des Plaines. To get information about upcoming local elections visit cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections.

Development & Investment Momentum

Nearly everywhere you look, there are signs of our thriving City and strong economy, which make Des Plaines a desirable destination to live, work, play, and for others to discover.

Nearly $130 million in permitted construction activity

Building permit volume up 16% (2020 to 2021)

Key Projects Helping to Spur Further Investment

New businesses are locating here and existing companies are expanding, changing the economic landscape of our city.

M/I Homes’ Halston Market

125 townhomes on 11 vacant acres near the Oakton-Lee intersection, approved by the City in early 2022. New residents build the case for Metra to establish a Des Plaines-Oakton stop on its North Central Service line, which would galvanize the nearby commercial corridor.

Mannheim-Pratt Commercial Development

A 5,000 square-foot restaurant (Outback Steakhouse) with an 11,000 square-foot multi-tenant building to contain a mix of restaurants (First Watch, Five Guys) and retail.

New Hotels Open

The Avid at 1551 E. Touhy Ave. and the Fairfield Inn at 2350 Mannheim Rd.

Planned Modern Industrial

Industrial redevelopment on the horizon for logistics users at 190 E. Touhy Ave. and 580 S. Wolf Rd., activating two key vacant sites. These are collectively $23 million in investment and an estimated 100-150 permanent jobs.

Rivers Casino Expansion

Phase I expansion is occupied, highlighted by a new Events Center.

Downtown

212 new residential units and 11,000 square feet of retail commercial at 1425 Ellinwood St. (“The Welkin”) is expected to be complete with construction and granted occupancy by the end of 2022.

Home Improvement Permits

Scan the QR Code and learn more about same-day permits in Des Plaines.

Newly Opened Avid Hotel at 1551 E. Touhy Ave.

Mannheim-Pratt Development Rendering

New Events Center at Rivers Casino

*Photo courtesy of Rivers Casino

Summer in the City

The City kicked off summer with the long-anticipated return of Taste of Des Plaines, taking place on June 17 and 18 in the heart of downtown. 2022 Taste of Des Plaines was our most successful in recent history, thanks to all of our neighbors who joined us. Ten food vendors served up everything from burgers to pizza to tacos and more. The pleasant weather made for two beautiful days of rocking out at our Main Stage, playing at our Family Area and interacting with our exhibitors. Thank you to our many sponsors, including Rivers Casino and Lakeshore Beverage, for supporting our community!

With an estimated 8,000 people in attendance, our Community Fireworks at Oakton Community College was a great success! Picnic dinners, dancing to the DJ, kid’s activities and more started the Independence Day weekend celebrations. On Monday, July 4, Des Plaines hosted our annual Independence Day Parade on Center St. with local floats "Celebrating our Heroes and Community.” Our neighborhoods were lively as spectators lined the streets to cheer on the many parade participants, including our 2022 Grand Marshal, American Legion Post 36.

As we enjoy the end of the summer weather, we look forward to our upcoming event in Metropolitan Square: the Des Plaines Holiday Tree Lighting on Friday, December 2. We are excited for the community to gather to enjoy live entertainment, sip hot chocolate and decorate the community trees.

Thank you for a fun summer, Des Plaines! We appreciate your support for your City’s events and are eager for future celebrations to come.

Public Safety

Fire Department Adds Rescue Squad 63

Plaines

Department

Protect Your Vehicles

What is a Catalytic Converter?

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Rescue Squad 63 is a multi-purpose vehicle that will be utilized for both EMS and fire responses. Having this vehicle in service and staffed properly allows it to serve as the primary EMS assist vehicle, limiting the need for an Engine or a Truck to respond. The new equipment along with staffing changes are all an effort to maximize efficiencies of

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Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft

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