| People who visit Richmond think of it as a place to | | | | course would be pared down to nine holes. |
| buy antiques. Those days are coming to an end. A | | | | Jamino's Pizza, a full service restaurant, will be opening |
| rash of store closings in the past few months | | | | soon on Route 12 next to the middle school. Work is |
| heralded a new reality for the village. With the arrival | | | | swiftly coming to completion on the building. The EDC |
| of eBay the brick and mortar antique business has | | | | is anxious to complete a walking trail that would |
| fallen on hard times. Richmond village officials now | | | | connect the downtown area to other places in |
| must find and court other types of businesses to fill | | | | Richmond. Discussion is under way to implement a |
| the slots left vacant by the antique stores that | | | | TIF funding mechanism that would pull tax increases |
| Richmond depended on to for many years. | | | | from a defined area into the village resources. This |
| Judy's Java and Books closed late last year. Jacquelyn | | | | money would be used to improve the area within the |
| Faire & Co. and Forget Me Not's are now closed. | | | | TIF boundary. However, the final outcome is still in |
| Station House Gifts closed in February. But new | | | | question until more research is completed. |
| businesses are arriving to fill vacancies. Tranquil-A-Tea | | | | The village board is on the verge of settling the |
| opened on Broadway last fall. A martini bar and | | | | lawsuit with developer Peter Bell. Village Attorney |
| lounge is expected to open this summer if the owner | | | | David McArdle said that he was tweaking the papers |
| can obtain permission from the zoning board. It will | | | | for a settlement and that there would probably be |
| have a European Kitchen serving cold sandwiches. | | | | no other obstacles. In addition, the new wastewater |
| The downtown area of Richmond needs significant | | | | treatment facility could be completed before the |
| improvements. An aggressive Economic Development | | | | year ends. |
| Committee (EDC) is staffed by Barb Gallegos, | | | | Change, as usual, brings doubt and criticism. Not all |
| Jeannine Nagel, Bryce Klontz, Trustee Cindy Walleck, | | | | village officials are on board with the new |
| and Village President Lauri Olson. EDC has the full | | | | developments. Trustee Charles Schultz is not a fan of |
| support of Olson and Village Manager Tim Savage | | | | more housing on the golf course. "The impact of yet |
| who are anxious to bring the village back to financial | | | | another large housing development is not necessarily |
| health. | | | | good for the village," said Schultz. " The ratio of |
| "There is definitely a feeling of optimism in the air," | | | | houses to businesses is already lopsided. The impact |
| said Gallegos. "A dressmaker boutique will go in the | | | | fees do not come close to paying the real cost of |
| Forget Me Not store. An interior designer will take | | | | houses on our community." Regarding the golf course |
| over another empty store soon. There is a car alarm | | | | Schultz said, "When we had public meetings a couple |
| company looking at the vacant store on the | | | | of years ago the people indicated they wanted to |
| southwest corner of 173 and 12. We need to make a | | | | keep the golf course in tact. I am in favor of putting |
| keep in mind that the business owners are the | | | | up the winery with a reworked golf course. This |
| village's customers. They need easy rules to follow | | | | would help pay for the impact on the schools from |
| when they come to us for direction. The person you | | | | the other developments. I want to see Richmond's |
| need to talk to is Cindy Walleck. She is highly involved | | | | economy leaning toward tourism and that would |
| in the EDC and promoting the village's revival." | | | | keep Richmond as a destination for visitors. I also |
| Village Trustee Walleck could not be reached in time | | | | recommend the village needs a combination of stores |
| for publication. | | | | that sell both products and services." |
| Heidner Properties, the developer, will open the | | | | At a recent board meeting Trustee Dan Deters |
| already built mini-mall on the northwest corner of | | | | expressed his dissatisfaction with the number of golf |
| Routes 12 & 31 in the near future. The mall is | | | | course homes proposed by Khayat. Deters is |
| set up to install five new stores. Each store will | | | | concerned about the impact of development on the |
| have1,000 square feet of interior space. Real Estate | | | | Nippersink creek, a Class A stream. He believes that |
| agent Sonny Katzenberg who assisted in the sale of | | | | maintaining good conservation techniques can only |
| the property said, "We know for sure that Subway | | | | help the economy of the village in the future by |
| is committed to rent one of the units. Other | | | | attracting visitors who are looking for a "country" |
| businesses looking at the property include an ice | | | | atmosphere. Deters said he is not against some |
| cream shop, a doughnut shop, a coffee shop, a | | | | development on the golf course property but he |
| Chinese restaurant and a currency exchange." | | | | wants to see the course stay keep its current 18 |
| Katzenberg handled the sale of another lot on the | | | | holes. "I would not drive anywhere to play nine |
| west side of route 12 across from Van's | | | | holes," said Deters. |
| Supermarket. According to Katzenberg the mini-mall | | | | Olson is in office for one full year as of April 2006. |
| owner, Mac Patel, will operate a gas station named | | | | She inherited a village embroiled in a major lawsuit |
| Richmond Petroleum. He will also construct a car | | | | regarding the sewer project and she engaged in |
| wash facility and a 3,600 square foot state-of-the-art | | | | heated debates with the village's primary housing |
| convenience store inside a building that will house two | | | | developer. |
| more small businesses Katzenberg would like to hear | | | | At the end of 2005 some people were referring to |
| from people who might be interested in putting | | | | Richmond as a "ghost town" in the wake of many |
| stores in the malls. He can be reached at | | | | closed antique stores and little prospect for new |
| 815-678-4131. | | | | commercial ventures. However, in just a few months |
| East on Route 173 in the golf course area, the village | | | | prospects for the village are brightening. Olson is |
| is negotiating with owner Chris Khayat who would like | | | | studying hard and learning quickly. |
| to build a complex that would include a small hotel, | | | | If commercial growth is any barometer of Richmond's |
| mini-mall, banquet hall, wine store and a housing | | | | economic well being, then Olson could be charting a |
| development with 240 town homes. The current golf | | | | profitable course for the future. |