Mayor: 'No Pawn, No Liquor, No Cash for Gold' in Former South Oak Dodge Space

Chicago Heights alderman aren't waiting for developers to come to them. Aldermen March 4 voted to reach out to potential developers in hopes of filling the vacant former home of South Oak Dodge. 

The city will send out 400 requests to developers, for proposals to rejuvenate the location at Lincoln Highway and Western.

Chicago Heights Mayor David Gonzalez said in a press release that the move will aggressively seek retail options for city residents.

“Planning is good, but action is better,” he said in the release. “I intend to move aggressively to seek qualified developers who will bring high quality retail development to the Lincoln Highway and Western Avenue intersection, in order to satisfy local consumer needs, to retain local dollars, and to bring more jobs to the city.”

The future of the spot might be uncertain, but Gonzalez can tell residents what won't be going there. 

“In the request for qualifications, we specifically put in there that no pawn shops, no cash for gold and no liquor could be sold there,” he said.

The one potential sticking point for the city, though, is that the location is in a TIF district—meaning the city will not see much of the property taxes from any development. Gonzalez said the TIF district inspired the city's request specificallly for retail development,  to bring in sales tax revenue.

“Obviously, what we're looking for is to increase the retail and generate some money off the retail sales tax,” he said.  

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