Anne Marie Casey has been a business owner in downtown Oak Lawn for 19 years and has seen its evolution firsthand.
She runs Annie’s Ltd., 5203 W. 95th St., which was located around the corner on Cook Avenue for its first three years. When the Cook Avenue landlord forced a quick move because of other plans for the building, Casey moved the women’s clothing shop to its present location.
“When I was forced to move to a bigger location on 95th Street, it doubled my rent and expenses. It scared me. But it turned out to be the best move of my life,” Casey said.
She has thrived at the new location and remained throughout Oak Lawn’s recent downtown redevelopment.
However, the construction of wider, decorative sidewalks with no-parking signs; the installation of new light poles; and the addition of flowerpots along the curb have meant the loss of parking in front of the shops.
For her customers, this meant a change in shopping habits: They no longer can park in front and run in and out. Now, they have to find parking and walk to the store. Despite this, Casey remains positive about the beautification efforts.
“The place looks absolutely gorgeous,” she said.
She also is feeling the loss of neighboring colleagues, who have had to relocate.
“It’s with mixed feelings when you see these things happening,” she said.
A number of businesses have to move to make way for parking lots or bigger businesses, and they face the expense of moving as well as the possible loss of customers.The area at 51st Avenue and 95th Street is being cleared for a new commuter parking lot and possibly other businesses. As a result, Millie’s Ice Cream and Coffee Shoppe, 5108 W. 95th St., was notified last fall that a teardown was imminent. For six years, Millie’s has served customers from Oak Lawn and the surrounding suburbs and as far as Gurnee to the north and Orland Park to the south.
“I have concerns for other businesses as well, and not just for my own, whenever someone makes plans for redevelopment,” said Travis Tuomey, owner of Millie’s.
At one point, he was negotiating with the village to help him relocate.
Oak Lawn Village Manager Joseph Faber said Tuomey turned down an offer of $35,000 to relocate the business. That amount is similar to the sum accepted by other businesses that relocated within the village, Faber said.
“Could this issue be revisited between now and some date in the future?” Faber said. “It’s very possible, and we’ll do our best to resolve [it].”
Tuomey has a lease until next year and is hoping to stay at that location until then. To boost his case, about 7,000 people signed a petition to help keep Millie’s in downtown Oak Lawn.
“The one advantage of redevelopment is that it gets new businesses in here and revitalizes 95th Street and creates a higher tax base,” Tuomey said. “But there needs to be a balance with both small and big businesses. You can’t just have the big chains. That doesn’t make a town. You need the small businesses as well.”
He’ll miss the building he constructed with its outdoor patio, Tuomey said. The building represents memories of family, friends and customers who have made his work and life happy.
“I’m always going to think of the kids and their families who have come in here,” he said. “That will never be again. Once this building is down, it’s down.”
