Downtown Elgin’s Window Wonderland “Holidays Around The World” Event Ushers in Holiday Season

The Downtown Neighborhood Association’s 8th Annual Window Wonderland Event kicks off the holiday season on December 2 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. All of the event festivities will take place on Elgin’s east side in historic downtown Elgin. This year’s theme, “Holidays Around The World” features activities and events offered by eighteen downtown businesses and several outside organizations. Offerings include refreshments, crafts for children, story-telling, dance workshops, music, dessert and coffee sampling, face-painting, and games. The event coincides with the City of Elgin’s annual tree-lighting ceremony.
Photos with Santa Claus will be offered in the historic Tower Building on the corner of Douglas and Chicago/Grove Streets from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Cost for photos will be $5 each if individuals present a stamped Holidays Around The World “passport,” or $8 each without an event passport. Event passports may be picked up at the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) office at 2 Douglas Ave. or businesses listed below. All activities are free and open to the public.
Assett Realty, 123 S. Grove will have food sampling; Aztec Imports, 163 E. Chicago will offer refreshments; Café Magdalena, 13 Douglas will offer story-telling, “African Christmas” with a craft and refreshments for 3-10 year olds at 2pm and 3:30pm; Evolution Staffing, 10 Douglas will host a bean bag toss game by the St. Edward’s Crusader Youth Cheerleaders; Gasthaus, 15 N. Grove will offer strudel and hot chocolate; Great American Family Diner, 231 Douglas will offer ornament decorating and cheesecake sampling; Jalapenos Restaurant, 7 Clock Tower Plaza will offer a craft for 3-10 year olds, music and Mexican dessert sampling; Kirkpatrick, Jones & Herzog, 19 S. Spring will offer a craft for children; La Quebrada, 50 N. Spring will offer Mariachi’s (music); Let’s Meet For Coffee, 109 E. Highland will offer coffee samples; Mobile Media, 231 Douglas will offer doughnuts; Montana Realty, 8 N. Douglas will offer face-painting and temporary tattoos by the St. Edward’s Crusader Youth Cheerleaders; Razor’s Edge, 55 Douglas will offer hot apple cider; ReRuns Thrift Store, 72 S. Grove will offer refreshments and a sale; Shockey Jewelers, 18 Douglas will offer champagne, refreshments and a sale; Tower Building—ground floor, Corner of Douglas and Chicago/Grove will offer photos with Santa for a fee; YWCA of Elgin, 220 E. Chicago will offer refreshments. Reflejo Latino Dance Group, 15 ½ Ziegler Court will offer dance workshops for 10-16 year olds at 2pm and 2:30pm and 4pm and 4:30pm; Individuals 17 years old and up may attend dance workshops at 3pm and 3:30pm. The Bartlett High School Choir and the Salvation Army will also offer special music all afternoon.
Area groups and downtown businesses and organizations begin decorating windows for the window decorating contest to the theme, “Holidays Around The World” Nov. 17- Dec. 1. Judging by popular vote begins on the day of the event, Dec. 2 and continues through Dec. 24. Windows will also be evaluated by a panel of judges on the day of the event. Votes by the public may be cast by picking up a ballot on the day of the event from the Downtown Neighborhood Association office on 2 Douglas or at any of the participating businesses. Additional information is available online www.downtownelgin.org. The event is sponsored by Chase Bank, Elgin Toyota, and Nick’s Liquors.
If you are interested in more information on how to be part of the Downtown Neighborhood Association or would like to volunteer, please contact the office at 847-488-1456 or visit www.downtownelgin.org.

Elgin on WTTW-Channel 11 on 11/28

WTTW-Channel 11 will air “The Fox River Valley and Chain o’ Lakes” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28.

The show will feature the Watch Factory, the observatory and Walton Island.

Update:
Encore Airings of this Episode
Tuesday, November 28 at 9:30 pm
Sunday, December 10 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 10 at 10:00 pm

Water Main Break on Grove

Some drivers may have had a few choice words for "the City" when they encountered Grove Ave closed during the Friday evening rush hour. You can take back those words, Public Works was just doing their job. A water main decided it was time to break. With Chicago and Highland down to one lane and the traffic signal work at every intersection, the traffic was backed up in all directions.

The good news is there will be less of these unexpected inconveniences as the five year project to replace all the water mains downtown gets started next week. The bad news is in order to do this there will be planned street closings in limited areas over the next five years.

Hemmens Shows x Four - November 7,9,10,11

There is a show for everyone next week at the Hemmens. For tickets call the box office at 847.931.5900.

- George Winston - Tuesday, November 7, 7:30pm (Solos on piano, guitar, harmonica, and piano dances)
- B.B. King - Thursday, November 9, 8pm (Need we say more about a Blues Legend?)
- Kathy Griffin - Friday, November 10, 8pm (An evening of laughs with this stand-up comedian) SOLD OUT
- Eric Burdon & The Animals - Saturday, November 11, 8pm (Say what British Invasion of the 60's)

Calling All Window Wonderland Decorators

This year’s theme “Holidays Around the World” will feature a wide array of beautifully decorated windows with an international flair in downtown Elgin. If you or your group would like to participate, simply fill out the FORM and fax it back to the DNA office at (847)488-1449 by Monday, November 6. Forms are available online at Window Wonderland form .

Window decorating will take place beginning November 17 and ending on Friday, Dec. 1. All windows must be ready for the big event on December 2. On December 2, a panel of judges will view all of the windows in the contest and will cast their vote for 1st and 2nd place winners in each category: Open (individuals/families/not-for-profits); Student (groups of children age 18 and younger); and Business. The public will also have an opportunity to cast their vote from Dec. 2 through Dec. 25 via ballots available on our web site and in a variety of locations throughout downtown Elgin. Any questions e-mail pmeek@elginil.org or call (847) 488-1456.

New Date for Start of Central Business District (CBD) Street Resurfacing

Central Business District (CBD) Street Resurfacing and Streetscape Program

Start Date for Central Business District Streetscape Program Rescheduled

Construction work on the utility upgrades associated with the first phase of the five year Central Business District Streetscape program has been re-scheduled to begin during the week of November 6. This work will consist of the installation of new water mains, hydrants and water services. Construction will now begin on North Grove Avenue at Highland Avenue. Work will proceed south to Chicago Street, east on Chicago Street to South Grove Avenue and then proceed south on South Grove to Prairie Street. The overall first phase of this project includes utility work on Grove Avenue, between Highland Avenue and Prairie Street, Fulton Street between Villa Street and Spring Street, and Spring Street between Chicago Street and Fulton Street/Grove Street.

The new start date of the construction and the change in the starting location was done to avoid conflict with the sewer separation work which is scheduled to be completed soon.

The nature of the utility construction in the downtown area will create many challenges. The construction will be planned and executed in order to maintain reasonable access during construction, and minimize disruption to the extent possible. During the project, an ongoing public involvement and outreach effort will be maintained to keep stakeholders and the general public informed including newsletters, updates, and project status reports via mailings/handouts and on the City’s website.

For further information, please contact Steve Pertzborn, Senior Engineer, at 847-931-5955.

Fox River Renaissance Alliance Presentation

Several firms are making presentations to the Fox River Renaissance Alliance on Wednesday, November 1st at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Avenue, Elgin, Il. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. and is open to the public.

The schedule is as follows:
1:00 pm - WRD Environmental
1:45 pm - Applied Ecological Services
2:30 pm - LRMG (Land Resource Management Group)
3:15 PM - Hitchcock Design

For more information please contact Denise Raleigh at 847-429-5981.

Link to information on the Fox River Renaissance Alliance. (This is a large file, be patient)

PADS Site on Zoning and Subdivision Hearing Board Agenda

The new site for PADS is on the agenda of Zoning and Subdivision Hearing Board meeting on November 1, 2006 at 7 p.m. The board meets in the city council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 150 Dexter Ct. Elgin, IL 60120.

PADS has been trying to find a permenant location for several years but everytime a site is selected another roadblock is put up. This time the location is in an industrial area near Elgin Community College, 1730 Berkley St., south of U.S. 20 and west of McLean Boulevard.

Courier News article from October 20th.

Is This in our Future?

The following article struck a chord with me:

Hollywood Florida rejects $100,000 in incentives for Starbucks
By Richard Layman

There have been discussions regarding what will happen to our local home grown businesses as the new residential developments start to fill up and the retail spaces are occupied. Will the desire of some for national brand name retail overshadow the existing businesses that have survived the years of economic decline and the current impact of construction disrupting their operations. It has been suggested that funding be made available to existing businesses to help offset the negative impact during the extensive construction. The progress is certainly welcome and the end result is sure to be worth the sacrifice but don't forget those who paved the way.

Riverside Deck Proposals

Two proposals for the renovation of the Riverside Deck were presented to the city council on Wednesday, October 25th. Hitchcock Design Group and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Planning Group each presented three concepts.

All three proposals from the HOK Planning Group involved reuse of the existing pilings. One had several sections that extended over the river using the existing pilings while the rest would be removed. Another configured the sections in levels that stepped down toward the river. The last one connected the sections with a series of landscaped areas that reached down towards the river. All three included a fishing pier at the south end.

The Hitchcock Design Group also reused the pilings in two of it's proposals but removed them all in a third design that didn't involve any sections extending out into the river. Instead they proposed using the money saved to fund the pedestrian bridge at Prairie Street that was in the Riverfront Master Plan. It was pointed out that if this route was taken and all the pilings were removed, it was very doubtful that the city would ever be allowed to have a structure that extended into the river in the future. Their first proposal reused all the existing pilings while replacing the deck surface and included a covered structure located half way between Highland and Prairie. The second design replaced the permanent structure with several areas where temporary structures could be placed during the warmer seasons. A boardwalk which sloped down towards the river was added in this design to allow more access to the river. All three proposals involved environmentally friendly designs for the water runoff from the street and pedestrian areas.

The Courier News and Daily Herald articles are linked below.
2 firms unveil plans for Fox deck
Design firms pitch ideas for Riverside rehab

You can view the presentations on the City of Elgin Government Access Channel 17:
Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

What are your thoughts?

Water Main Break Repair on Sunday

City crews will repair a water main break in the central business district beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday, October 29th.
"We understand that this is a tremendous inconvenience. We will do everything we can to ensure the work is handled as expeditiously as possible," said Public Works Director John Loete. The repair will require crews to shut off water throughout the area on East Chicago Street from the Spring Street Parking Deck to across State Street (Illinois 31). Water service also will be turned off from Grove Avenue and DuPage Court to the Elgin Tower Building. Water service should be restored by 3 p.m. There will be traffic signs to better direct motorists through the area. Residents and guests also will be unable to park on East Chicago Street, from Spring to Villa streets.
For more information, please call (847) 931-3160.

Central Business District Streetscape Program Construction to Begin

Phase 1 of the five year streetscape program begins next week with the underground work.

Construction work on the utility upgrades associated with the first phase of the five year Central Business District Streetscape program is scheduled to begin during the week of October 30. This work will consist of the installation of new water mains, hydrants and water services with work starting on South Grove Avenue, at Chicago Street and proceeding south. The overall first phase project will include utility work on Grove Avenue, between Highland Avenue and Prairie Street, Fulton Street between Villa Street and Spring Street, and Spring Street between Chicago Street and Fulton Street/Grove Street.

The nature of the utility construction in the downtown area will create many challenges. The construction will be planned and executed in order to maintain reasonable access during construction, and minimize disruption to the extent possible. During the project, an ongoing public involvement and outreach effort will be maintained to keep stakeholders and the general public informed including newsletters, updates, and project status reports via mailings/handouts and on the City’s website.

The construction work on Chicago Street is part of a multi-year sewer separation project for all of Elgin. It was moved up in the schedule so it wouldn't interfere with the streetscape work.

For further information, please contact Steve Pertzborn, Senior Engineer, at 847-931-5955.

UPDATE: The project start date has been changed to November 6th so it doesn't conflict with the ongoing sewer separation work.

Five Year Streetscape Plan

The City of Elgin has engaged the services of TranSystems Corporation and DLK Civic Design to provide design services for water main and water service replacement, streetscape amenities construction and street resurfacing. The CBD Streetscape Improvement Project is in the City’s current five-year master plan with $15.5 million budgeted for utility and streetscape work.

Three public meetings have been held to collect input on sidewalk materials, trees and plantings and pedestrian access. The following links are the materials presented at the October 17th meeting:

Concepts
Elements

The Streetscape Master Plan is in the works and will be presented at the fourth public meeting.

This is the schedule:
2006 Underground, 2007 Surface: Sidewalk, curb and gutter and street reconstruction/resurfacing on sections of Grove, Spring and Fulton.

2007 Underground, 2008 Surface: Chicago Street from State to Center, Spring Street from Chicago to Highland, and DuPage Street from Spring to Center.

2008 Underground, 2009 Surface: Douglas Street from Chicago to Symphony, Symphony Way from Douglas to Dundee, and Division Street from Douglas to Center.

2009 Underground, 2010 Surface: Highland Avenue from State to Center, Grove Street from Highland to City Hall, and Center Street from Dexter to Kimball.

2010 Underground, 2011 Surface: Spring Street from Highland to Kimball and Dexter Avenue from City Hall to Center.

Riverside Deck Presentation

Two proposals for the renovation of the Riverside Deck will be presented to the city council at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Wednesday, October 25th at 5:00 p.m. Please note the early starting time and get there on time, the presentation is the first item on the agenda. Hitchcock Design Group and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Planning Group are the two design firm competing for the project. The firms are required to present three concepts, one with access to the riverfront, one without access and one concept of the firm’s choosing. This project will link the riverwalk improvements north of Highland Avenue with the recently completed section south of Prairie Street at a cost estimated to be 10 million dollars.

Elgin Community Network (ECN) Podcasts

The ECN Community Builder online show is a wonderful vehicle for Elgin. It is fulfilling ECN's vision of service to the community. The ECN has limited funds, and therefore the promotion of this show lies very much in the hands of volunteers and supporters. You can listen to or download programs at: www.ecn.libsyn.com.

The September edition includes Norma Miess, Executive Director of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. She discusses how the DNA focuses on cohesively bringing together the business community for a stronger downtown.

When you go to the website you will see a pod button next to the title of the show. Click the pod button and it will bring up your media player and play the program. Click the right mouse button to download the program so you can listen whenever and wherever you please. For information on the show or to help please contact Gary Joy at 847-628-9717.

The Elgin Community Network is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to:
- Supporting communication, education and collaboration between Elgin neighborhoods, city council and staff.
- Encouraging residents to be involved in their neighborhood and community.

The Community Builder covers useful topics, shares information and builds on our community's success.

2006 Illinois Main Street Conference

Don't miss the Illinois Main Street conference in Waukegan on November 14th and 15th.
Elgin's own Paul Bednar will be presenting a session on Block Walks.

Register Online for the Conference
Registration Sheet for Printing Out
Agenda and More Info (.pdf file)

UPDATE
This just in. Elgin is a finialist in the following four categories of the 2006 Illinois Main Street Awards:

• Design Committee Project - Block Walk Report
• Special Event or Festival - Gail Borden Library's GIANT Exhibit
• Partnership Development - DNA & Judson College Partnership
• Heritage Tourism Activity - Cinco de Mayo Festival & Parade

The winners will be announced at the Lt. Governor’s Awards for Downtown Revitalization dinner on November 15th in Waukegan.

You won’t want to miss this year’s awards event rivaling the Oscars and the Tony Awards! The sounds of the Harrison Bankhead Trio will serenade you during the reception with hors d’ oeuvres and cash bar. Then you’ll be escorted to your seat in the theatre where the celebration will continue. Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will present the Awards for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization and recognize new and outstanding Main Street communities. Everyone is a star this night when the curtain rises and dinner is served on the Genesee Theatre stage. Semi-formal attire requested. Dinner is $50 make your reservation at Register Online for the Conference Registration or Registration Sheet for Printing Out.

E. Chicago Down to One Lane for Two Weeks

Chicago Street, from Douglas to Spring, will be reduced to only one lane for about two weeks starting October 16th. Parking along Chicago Street will be prohibited, however, access to businesses will be available. The construction is part of the City of Elgin’s $1.3 million 2006 Combined Sewer Separation Project approved by Council last year. The Combined Sewer Separation Program will incrementally separate wastewater and storm water sewers over the next 15 years. For more info contact Steve Pertzborn, the City’s Senior Engineer, at (847) 931-5964.

Illinois Main Street Architects to Visit Downtown Elgin

The Downtown Neighborhood Association has invited IHPA architects to conduct a workshop, offer design advice, and lead a building maintenance tour for business and property owners.

Architects from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), working through the Illinois Main Street program, will be in Elgin all day on Tuesday, October 24 to provide businesses, agencies, and building owners design assistance through presentations, one-on-one sessions, and a walking tour. The state architects provide these services at no charge to Illinois Main Street communities like Elgin.

Downtown Neighborhood Association’s (DNA) Design Committee co-chairs Eric Pepa, Paul Bednar, Betsy Couture, and Dave Segel have worked with the Illinois Main Street architects to develop a full day of design assistance for Downtown Elgin.

Schedule
8 a.m. - Sessions on visual merchandising and low-cost design improvements at the DNA offices at 2 Douglas Avenue. Coffee and pastries will be served.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - One-on-one design assistance sessions with downtown business and property owners. Any interested Downtown Elgin business owner, agency or property owner can schedule an appointment by calling the DNA in advance at (847) 488-1456.

12 p.m. - Lunch


4:30 p.m. - The IHPA staff will discuss proper maintenance and repair of historic downtown buildings. There are several maintenance issues that, if addressed early, can save building owners tremendous amounts of time and money in the long run. This well-illustrated presentation identifies common causes of deterioration in historic building materials and examines necessary and appropriate repair techniques.

5:30 p.m. - IHPA staff will lead an hour-long tour of buildings in downtown Elgin, focusing on positive aspects of storefronts and areas where conditions might be improved. The public is welcome to attend the morning and afternoon sessions and tour. Packets will be available that discuss the various grants and tax credits available for downtown buildings from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency and from the City of Elgin. In addition, information will be available regarding design assistance from the IHPA, the City of Elgin, and the Downtown Neighborhood Association.

To RSVP for any of these sessions please contact DNA at (847) 488-1456 by October 20.

Lao-American Organization Open House

I had the pleasure of attending the Lao-American Organization of Elgin Open House on Saturday. They have opened an office in the Professional Building. Their mission is:

"Unite and provide assistance to all people of Lao national origin, living in the Greater Elgin Area and it's surrounding cities, with emphasis on educational and Social-cultural factors as a focal point."

The organization has been in existence since 1996. They plan to use the office to hold classes and workshops to fulfill their mission. After learning about the group it was time for lunch so we went up to the top floor of the Professional Building for a buffet prepared by the members of LAOE. What could be better. Good food, great company and a spectacular view.

Lao-American Organization of Elgin, Inc.
164 Division St., Suite 508
Elgin, IL 60120

(847) 695-4505
www.laoofelgin.org

Downtown Elgin Blog on the Front Page of the Courier News

New media profiled on old media, "Elgin wired up on the Web". The Downtown Elgin and Elginite blogs were on the front page of the Monday, October 16th Courier News. I was interviewed by Kent Green several weeks ago. It's good to see the story, but I didn't expect the placement it got.

Nothing like vistors to inspire you to straighten up. My posting has been very light lately.