Nearly a year and a half after the former cigar lounge, Casa de Puros, was donated to the village, the space has finally been approved for use by the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce & Development.
At the June 8 Forest Park village council meeting, the council unanimously passed the resolution that approved and authorized the execution of a facilities use license agreement with the Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber will now have an official, designated office space under this lease agreement. They previously had an office space just down the street from their new home, but after rent doubled with new ownership, they moved into the basement of Forest Park Bank and have been operating out of it since.
The property, located at 7410 Madison Street, was donated to the village by the previous owner because it was appraised at $270,000 and not in a sellable state. It includes about 1,800 square feet on the ground floor and two parking spaces out back.
“When 7410 was donated to the village, leaders recognized it as a unique opportunity to create a welcoming space where prospective investors and business owners could connect with the village, community organizations could gather and the Chamber could reestablish a presence in the heart of downtown Forest Park,” said Laurie Kokenes, executive director of the Forest Park Chamber of Commerce & Development, in an email.
With an official meeting space in a prime location, the Chamber will be much more accessible to business owners and those seeking information about the organization. Village Administrator Rachell Entler said one of the ideas that they had when the village obtained the space was to give the chamber more visibility, particularly in the downtown business district.
“We share a very good working relationship with the village, and they made the process of finalizing the use agreement easy,” Kokenes said. “With a few back-and-forth drafts, we had a final document to present to council for approval.”
Before the approval of the Chamber moving in, the space had already been used for community events and as a display for arts and artifacts by the Historical Society of Forest Park and the Forest Park Arts Alliance.
At the June 8 meeting, Commissioner Jessica Voogd asked whether the Chamber moving in would interfere with the village allowing other organizations to use the space.
Entler reassured that the Chamber meetings are typically held during the day , and said the village and Chamber would still work closely in making sure the timing of the events would not interfere with other organizations using the space.
She also said they have received “very few requests” for use of the building and its space besides the historical society and arts alliance.
Lin Beribak, vice-president of the Forest Park Arts Alliance, said that due to the size and number of spaces inside the building, working alongside the Chamber and historical society will be doable and might prove to be useful in conjunction with the Chamber
“The space has been a valuable way for us to engage residents with local history and connect with the community,” said Alexis Ellers, executive director of the Historical Society of Forest Park, in an email.
The historical society will be making use of the space for its upcoming Annual Garden Walk on July 11.
“We’re thrilled that they chose to offer us this opportunity, and we look forward to having face time with both the business community and visitors,” Kokenes said.
Emma Bradford is an intern for NEWSWELL CHICAGO through Report for America’s Local News Internship Program.