Oak Brook A Hindrance For Elmhurst's Development?

ELMHURST, IL – Towns such as Oak Brook and Rosemont have a lot of businesses, but relatively few people.

Oak Brook's population is just over 8,000, while Rosemont's is less than 4,000. Elmhurst's tops both, at 45,000.

What happens in Oak Brook, which borders Elmhurst, is seen as affecting the city.

At Monday's Elmhurst City Council meeting, Alderman Michael Bram asked Heather Bereckis, the city's business development manager, about Oak Brook's impact on attracting businesses in Elmhurst. He said he did not think the effect was as great as many believe.

Bereckis said Oak Brook and Chicago benefit Elmhurst because they have many large chains for which Elmhurst lacks the space. That leaves Elmhurst to offer boutique-style businesses and a "unique" restaurant environment, she said.

"We do see a lot of draw from that," Bereckis said.

She said the "Explore Elmhurst" campaign is a big help, particularly with its effort to get Elmhurst near the top of online search results. When people are researching nearby towns, they automatically see Elmhurst listings, she said.

Last week, a city consultant, Nik Davis, told the council that Oak Brook is a challenge to getting national chains in downtown Elmhurst, referring to the area as a "regional competition zone."

"That means you have to be a little bit more creative, you have to look at different options for commercial retail and service uses," Davis told the council. "It's not an end. It's just something you need to be more considerate of."