La Grange OKs Coworking Plan, With A Catch

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange's downtown has been rated as among the top ones in Chicago's western suburbs.

Officials say they want to keep it that way – and that means a focus on bringing in stores and restaurants.

For some time, the Village Board has grappled with a proposal for a coworking business at 30 S. La Grange Road, where the old Nicksons Eatery closed a few years ago.

Brick & Mortar, which operates three coworking spaces in the area, wants to use at least part of the first floor for coworking, along with the entire second story.

But village officials prefer retail and restaurants on the first floor, which are believed to drive traffic to downtown. Plus, such businesses bring sales tax income, while services do not.

Brick & Mortar has agreed to have retail make up 20 percent of the first floor's space. It plans to use part of it for an acai bowl business, with four seats for diners. For the rest, it wants to sell Illinois-made goods.

But the board's majority on Monday night wanted to increase the retail space to half.

The village has made exceptions before to its requirement for retail and restaurants on its first floor, with fitness-type businesses being the beneficiaries.

But the village requires the front of downtown businesses to be occupied by some type of retail. Those businesses sell products related to what they do.

Three other co-working businesses are downtown, but they are on the second floor. A couple of them have gone on record opposing Brick & Mortar's plan.

At Monday's board meeting, Sue Reardon of Suite Spotte spoke up. She said she had no problem with another coworking business, but it should be kept to the second floor.

"We're looking to remove a source of income in downtown La Grange," she said. "I'm opposed to that."

Trustees also said they were concerned with the loss of retail space. They proposed increasing it to half the first floor.

However, Andrew Nast, CEO of Brick & Mortar, said his architect indicates it would be "extremely challenging" to move retail farther back into the building.

He said an increase would mean Brick & Mortar would be required to dedicate more square footage to retail than other businesses with exceptions.

"Now we're being penalized because we have a large first floor," he said.

Trustee Glenn Thompson said it was unfair to compare Brick & Mortar's proposed retail operation to those of the fitness businesses.

Brick and Mortar's retail is being designed "to truly bring in people who are walking down the street," he said.

By contrast, Thompson said, the fitness businesses mainly sell apparel such as yoga pants that are meant for their services' customers. And they are typically more expensive than similar items in other stores, he said.

The board voted 4-1 to require Brick & Mortar to have retail taking up half the first floor's space. Thompson dissented, while Trustee Shawana McGee was absent. The board then approved the overall plan, with the condition on retail.

Patch left a message for comment with Nast on Tuesday morning.