Danielle Kuhn, owner of Scratchboard Kitchen in Arlington Heights, pictured March 31, 2023, is among local business owners keeping a watchful eye out for how the Chicago Bears' proposed redevelopment of the Arlington International Racecourse site the football team has purchased might impact already established businesses in the area.
Village Business Development Manager Michael Mertes said downtown Arlington Heights is currently home to more than 175 businesses, including about 30 retailers, 30 restaurants and more than 50 service providers. He said last year the businesses in that area generated just under $2.4 million in sales, and food and beverage taxes for the village.
A rendering of the complex is shown as representatives from the Bears present their concept for building a new stadium and entertainment district on the site of Arlington International Racecourse on Sept. 8, 2022.that the village needed another transit-oriented development when it already had the thriving mixed-use area around the Metra tracks.
“I think the overall agreement is that the business area matters, and we want it to stay strong,” said Trustee Nicolle Grasse. Alliance member Heather Larson said even if the area doesn’t eventually host a new NFL stadium, the news about the team’s potential arrival in the village has been an important inflection point.
Village of Arlington Heights leaders established the Arlington Alfresco outdoor dining venue in downtown Arlington Heights, pictured Sept. 5, 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to help restaurants stay afloat. The venue grew in popularity and became a mainstay. Larson’s observation rang true for Heather Henkel, who owns a Kilwins ice cream shop on Campbell Street. She anticipates that any mixed-use district at the racecourse would be “sectioned off” and occupied by larger chains.“This is organic down here,” she said. “Out there, you’re going to have bigger characters.”“The racetrack has been out there for how long?” she said. “The track was a large venue, thousands of people. I view this as kind of being the same.
Kuhn held out for four years for what she considered the perfect location before opening her farm-to-table restaurant Scratchboard Kitchen because she felt so strongly about opening in a walkable environment.