Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Mayor Bob Straz identified a need for 'forward thinkers' who can change the city's business landscape during Tuesday's State of Palos Heights address. He also highlighted the city's fiscal responsibility and ongoing effort to draw new business.
Mayor Bob Straz called for progressive business people and developers to help renovate dated parts of city during his State of Palos Heights address delivered Tuesday. While the Palos Heights' business community added more than two dozen new stores and restaurants and efforts continue to spruce up Harlem Avenue, areas still remain that date back decades and "forward thinkers" are required to spur redevelopment. "One of the problems we have is that we have 1965 stores up and down Harlem Avenue," Straz said. "We need forward thinkers to come in and change some of those buildings." "That's how things happen in Palos Heights," he added. Straz's address, given at a Palos Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon inside Moraine Valley Community College…
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Palos Heights held its Veterans Day ceremony Monday.
The tradition of honoring Palos Heights veterans carried on Monday but did so without one perennial beacon. Don Dahl, who passed away in September, was a driving organizer before the city's Memorial Day and Veterans Day celebration. A veteran from World War II, Dahl was active the local VFW and American Legion and is remembered the by community for his advocating of veterans. Kathy Lovitt of Palos Heights spoke at the ceremony Monday morning outside City Hall about the loss, Dahl, and the emptiness from not seeing him help put together the Veterans Day ceremony. "Don organized the Memorial and Veteran's Day ceremonies for, I don't know how many years," Lovitt said. Lovitt first got to know him ten years ago when she asked to read a poem in…
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Building Commissioner James Dougherty is no longer in his position with the City, Mayor Bob Straz said Tuesday.
Palos Heights' Building Commissioner was terminated Friday after giving unsatisfactory answers over the department's operation, Mayor Bob Straz said Tuesday. James Dougherty was let go last week after being given the chance to request a hearing over what Straz has called an internal personnel matter. Straz said he was unsatisfied with answers to questions about mismanagement of the department the former building commissioner provided during a meeting Friday. "I didn't like the way the department was being run," Straz said. Straz has declined to elaborate on exactly what was being mismanaged in the department or on the circumstances surrounding Dougherty being placed on leave earlier this month. Dougherty has been given the opportunity to …
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Aldermen voted 4-3 Tuesday night against the preliminary plan for a proposed development on Harlem Avenue and Route 83.
After sailing through three previous votes, the Palos Town Square development was killed Tuesday night with a razor thin margin. Aldermen voted 4-3 not to approve the preliminary plan for the six-building retail development at Harlem Avenue and Route 83, effectively killing the project. Developer Lagestee-Mulder planned to build a six-building development on the long empty corner that would possibly include a restaurant, auto repair shop and most controversially -- a bank. The preliminary plan passed through the Planning Unit Development Commission, the Planning and Zoning Committee and an initial City Council vote. The plan would have to filter through the same process should the developer attempt to try again, a scenario that is …
Monday, June 11, 2012
A commission will convene Monday night to hear plans for a new business development on Harlem Avenue and College Drive.
For years it has sat, an empty space that for a time was the site of some big plans, but became primarily known as a development that never was. That image could change Monday night if plans for a new multi-building retail development on the northeast corner of Harlem Avenue and College Drive is given a thumbs up the Palos Heights Planning Unit Development Commission. Any plans that are presented tonight are preliminary. A much more comprehensive plan would still be required to be presented to the City Council for approval. What It Would Look Like The site is still under contract, so it has not been officially sold. However, commercial real estate and development firm Lagestee-Mulder plans to purchase the land and construct five new …
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Westgate Valley residents attended Tuesday's city council meeting to oppose a car care center on nearby Ridgeland Avenue.
Not In Our Backyard: Westgate Valley resident Ron Smith spoke at Tuesday night’s Palos Heights City Council meeting, expressing his opposition, and that of other residents in the development, to a proposed Meineke Car Care Center at 13400-10 S. Ridgeland Ave. Westgate Valley is already in litigation with the city over dedication of the roads in the development, which was annexed into Palos Heights in 1998. Smith, a director on the board of the Westgate Townhome Association, calmly addressed the board for almost 20 minutes but made some fairly serious accusations. Smith said residents are not just opposed to the development, they feel the unanimous approval on May 3 to draft an ordinance granting a B Special Use in a B District for the …
Concered Citizen
11:47 am on Sunday, February 17, 2013
Palos Hills is even worse!!! more ›