Berkeley residents have a new place to shop for everyday essentials at low prices. Dollar General recently opened a new location at 5555 West St. Charles Road and hosted its grand opening celebration Saturday, September 5th at 8:00 AM. At the grand opening event, shoppers enjoyed special deals and free prizes. The first 50 shoppers at the store received a $10.00 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers received a Dollar General tote bag, among other giveaways.

   Berkeley’s Dollar General offers convenience and value to its customers by providing a focused selection of national brands and private brands of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health and beauty care products, and is among the largest retailers of top-quality products made by America's most trusted manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Unilever, Kellogg's, General Mills, Nabisco, and Fruit of the Loom.

   The store currently employs approximately six to ten people, and anyone interested in applying for a job at Dollar General can find more information and a job application at www.dollargeneral.com in the Career Center. If you missed the Grand Opening celebration, you haven’t missed out on the savings. It’s never too late to stop by and start saving today!

   The Village of Berkeley and the Dollar General retail store are pleased to announce the opening of a new store in Berkeley. The new store will be located at 5555 West St. Charles Road, in the Berkeley Plaza shopping center, and will utilize 9,555 square feet of retail space. The new Dollar General will be the eleventh Dollar General in Cook County, adding to the retailers 307 stores in Illinois alone.

   The new Dollar General will offer customers the brands and products they use most in a small, easy-to-shop format. Dollar General sells quality name-brand and private label merchandise such as health and beauty products, cleaning supplies, house wares, stationery, seasonal goods, basic clothing, packaged food products, refrigerated foods such as dairy products and lunch meat, and frozen food. The majority of our products are priced at $10 or less, with approximately 30 percent of the products priced at $1 or less.

   As part of a cooperative effort to bring retailers to the Village of Berkeley, Mega Properties (Berkeley Plaza’s leasing agent) and Berkeley’s Economic Development Commission are working to facilitate and assist current tenants with relocation within the shopping center to make room for Dollar General’s development, making this endeavor a truly homegrown effort. 

2nd Annual Economic Development and Transportation Issues Forum a Success

   On Friday, May 8, 2009, the 2nd Annual Transportation and Economic Development Forum was hosted to great success at the Luis Y Luigis Mexican/Italian Restaurant in Berkeley, IL.: envisioned as an opportunity to bring local business concerns into the same room as the state, county and local government officials who can help them, the annual forum has become a marquee event for Berkeley’s ongoing Economic Development goals and strategies.

   Representing both sides of the coin as a local business owner and Village President, the event kicked off with Mayor Esposito’s challenge for building symbiotic relationships among local businesses with those efforts finding support from government at both the state, county and local levels. Echoing his sentiment, representatives from the Governor’s Office, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT,) the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), Cook County Commissioner “Liz” Doody Gorman and the Illinois Department of Human Services all spoke of initiatives and upcoming support to help nurture those efforts.

   Referencing the Village of Berkeley’s resurrected Comprehensive Plan, a plan created as a road map for Berkeley’s future growth, land use for future zoning and success as a community, members of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP,) Camiros LTD, Business Districts Incorporated and the newly re-imagined Hillside-Berkeley Chamber of Commerce also delivered a message of a unified effort to nearly forty members of the local business community.

   Organized through the efforts of Lou Rodriguez, Trustee, Building & Zoning Chair & EDC Board Liaison, his summary of the event said it best, "I believe today, we rekindled old friendships, made new friends and reinforced the faith in our community and its leadership."

Berkeley joins Hillside Chamber of Commerce

   On February11, 2009, the Hillside Chamber of Commerce (established in 1987 to assist local Hillside businesses) voted unanimously to accept the Village of Berkeley's request of a merger that would combine the businesses of both Hillside and Berkeley under one Chamber of Commerce; the Hillside-Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.

   Unable to sustain Business Councils and Commerce Committees in the past, Berkeley's request comes at a time when combined forces make as much economic sense as it does in tapping into the strengths of both communities. An increase in the size of the existing organization by nearly 50% also promises the possibility of fresh ideas and renewed commitment in a time of economic uncertainty, a logical move as well as an effort long in the works. Spearheaded by Berkeley Trustee Lou Rodriguez through his position as the Village's liaison to the Berkeley Economic Development Commission,  the newly formed joint-venture hopes to make a powerful and immediate impact in both communities. Interested businesses can find out more information at the existing Hillside Chamber of Commerce site located at http://www.hillsidechamberofcommerce.com/index.html .

  

Berkeley Welcomes

International Business

HONEY-CAN-DO, INTERNATIONAL

   Honey-Can-Do International (HCD), a startup consumer products firm, is proud to announce that it has acquired the 165,000 square foot building at 5750 McDermott Drive in Berkeley, IL, to serve as its international corporate headquarters and its primary US distribution center. Honey-Can-Do also operates an office in Hong Kong which oversees its production, quality control and sourcing operations in Asia. HCD forecasts that it will have over 75 world-class associates at the Berkeley facility within 5 years. Steve Greenspon, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Honey-Can-Do recently commended the Village of Berkeley Board of Trustees for their efforts in making Berkeley the company’s first choice. “We had considered many office and warehouse facilities throughout the Chicago area prior to choosing Berkeley. From the time we first met with Village officials regarding our plans for the site through the present day, we have found Berkeley to be a very hospitable, cooperative and flexible environment for business. We look forward to being members of the Berkeley community for many years to come and are proud to call Berkeley our home.” Honey-Can-Do was founded in 2007 to provide products with fashion forward designs utilizing eco-friendly materials and processes to the home storage and organization category. Such products include hangers, shoe racks, laundry hampers, garment racks, ironing boards and accessories and other items primarily for the closet and laundry rooms. HCD will provide its products through mass and specialty retailers, home centers, authorized distributors and e-retailers. A portion of all earnings of HCD is donated to charitable causes focused on financially and physically challenged children. As part of its eco-friendly initiative, HCD is replacing all fluorescent lighting fixtures in its warehouse to a modern high density fixture which will reduce its electrical output by nearly two-thirds. HCD is currently pursuing additional initiatives to reduce the carbon output of its facility.

   The Village of Berkeley recently celebrated the first steps toward new commercial development in over 20 years with its ceremonial groundbreaking at the corner of St. Charles Rd. and Ashbel Ave. Complementing Berkeley's oversight of a joint investment exceeding eight million dollars into the reconstruction of St. Charles Road, and continuing its trend of Village-wide beautification, the Village will welcome the construction of a new retail center and its first new National Anchor Tenant; a drive-thru Dunkin Donuts.

   Several years ago, Berkeley's ideas for the St. Charles Rd. corridor seemed all but obtainable. Due in large part to the Village’s "take action" approach to its development, moreover, the overall vision for St. Charles Rd. has begun to finally take shape. With facade improvements recently approved for several businesses along the busy through-way and the even more recent renovation of the McDonald’s eatery, the St. Charles Rd. transformation continues at an exciting pace.

   Previously an 8200 square foot defunct, two story office building, the site was demolished in early 2007 to clear the path for Eric Wickman, the property developer, to find businesses that fit Berkeley’s own vision for development. A young and ambitious developer, Eric executed a long-term lease with Dunkin Donuts with the help of Barry Millman of Horizon Realty Services, Inc. Appropriately named "Berkeley Crossings," residents can look for the project to be completed soon and businesses to open shortly thereafter.

   On November 8, 2008, the Village of Berkeley was happy to celebrate the Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Berkeley Crossings shopping center, located at 5725 St. Charles Road at the corners of Ashbel and St. Charles Rd. As part of the continued expansion of business along the St. Charles Road corridor, the completion of the Berkeley Crossings development marked the end of a year long effort to welcome its first two tenants; the newly opened Dunkin Donuts and Sprint stores.

   Previously an 8200 square foot, empty two story office building, the corner site was demolished in late 2007 to clear the path for the project to take shape. At its defining moment, recommissioned as Berkeley Crossings, key members of the Berkeley Economic Development Commission, Village of Berkeley Officials, members of the Wickman Development Group (responsible for the project,) and members of the Berkeley business community were present to welcome the newest addition to Berkeley’s evolving business landscape. Also in attendance, as part of a growing commitment to supporting the business efforts of the entire Berkeley business community, was the WGN Radio 720 fan van, responsible for the radio promotion spots that have been airing on WGN Radio 720 since early November.

   With the holidays quickly approaching, take advantage of your opportunity to stop by the new Sprint store to stock up on the latest technology to stuff your stockings with and then stop next door at the Dunkin Donuts to warm up with some coffee before heading home to wrap your Christmas offerings.