The village of Forest Park will soon have a new presence on Madison Street in the space that previously housed the cigar lounge Casa de Puros.
At the last village council meeting in November, commissioners unanimously accepted the donation of a property at 7410 Madison Street to the village. This week, the village is closing on the building, appraised at $270,000.
“We should have a presence in the middle of Madison,” said Director of the Department of Public Health and Safety Steve Glinke, who called the donated property “a legacy move for the village.”
Glinke and Village Administrator Rachell Entler have inquired about the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce moving into the village’s purchase.
Although the Chamber of Commerce has previously had an office down the street from 7410 Madison Street, after rent doubled with new ownership, Forest Park Bank’s owner Jerry Vainisi offered for the Chamber’s employees – Executive Director Laurie Kokenes and a part-time staff member – to move to the basement at his bank’s 7331 Roosevelt Road location, according to Kokenes.
Kokenes said that, while the Chamber hasn’t had any formal conversations with village staff about moving into the donated storefront, it’s an exciting prospect.
“They are still in the process of settling everything. We’re looking forward to learning more about plans and details when the time is right,” Kokenes said. “There would definitely be some pluses to having the chamber office on Madison again.”
“Our downtown business district showcases the unique mix of independent shops and paints a picture of Forest Park’s small-town charm. It’s a place where people gather and connections are made,” Kokenes added. “Madison Street is the perfect place for the village to meet with prospective business owners or investors.”
Glinke also mentioned using the building as a location for the village to convene with prospective business owners or hold off-site department meetings. Village staff are discussing offering some of the space to the Forest Park Arts Alliance and the Historical Society of Forest Park.
Moving onto Madison
The owner of the donated property lives locally and decided to give it to the village because it’s not in a sellable state, according to Glinke. He added that, if the next tenant wanted to remove the built-in desk or the cases that line the walls, it would mean tearing down much of the building’s inside.
The village is keeping most of the building as-is, with its dark wooden walls and golden light fixtures. The previous tenants even left behind mounted flat-screen TVs and a sound system. There’s also a small, built-in kitchen at the back of the building.
After the paperwork for the donation is completed, Glinke said the village will start updating the building by cleaning the ductwork and HVAC system. Although the building doesn’t smell like smoke, HVAC cleaning will eliminate any remaining debris or residue that resulted from previous clientele smoking cigars inside.
The village plans to install burglar alarms and cameras, plus new awnings. It will pay for most of these initial updates with funds the village received from the American Rescue Plan Act after Covid-19.
At an October meeting when the village council decided how to spend the last of its ARPA money, Entler suggested that the village designate $50,000 of ARPA funding to pay for the donated property’s cost over roughly the next three years. This includes $10,000 for a consultant to help get the property off tax rolls. It also accounts for annual property assessments, which are $4,800 a year, plus heat, electric and Wi-Fi.
Entler also suggested setting aside $8,000 a year for three years to go toward building maintenance.
“This is something we could do a little every year,” Glinke said.
The donated property includes about 1,800 square feet on the building’s ground floor and two parking spaces behind it. The residential units above the donated property will remain untouched.
This week, the donor is delivering the building’s warranty deed, checks for this year’s real estate and condominium assessment, plus signed transfer declarations. The village expects to close on the building afterward.