Evanston, Ill. – Economic development and planning officials from more than 20 communities recently gathered to hear experts discuss the challenges of mixed-use retail development.
Speaking at the regional seminar, hosted by locally based Buisness Districts Inc., were Judith Aiello, assistant city manager of Evanston, Mike Fitzgerald, partner with Lincolnshire-based Otis Koglin Wilson architects and Skip Martin, vice president of Rolling Meadows-based Interstate Commercial. Also present were representatives from Illinois’ Main Street program and the Chicago-based Metropolitan Planning Council’s Campaign for Sensible Growth.
One of the challenges “can be Wall Street, which increasingly ‘hammers’ stock of slow performing retailers, cutting into capitalization for new stores,” said Skip Martin.