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Home   >   Local News   >   Elburn   >   Holding out hope to keep downtown parking open

Holding out hope to keep downtown parking open

By on March 8, 2012

by Lynn Meredith
ELBURN—The doors of communication are beginning to open between the church that owns the parking lot on the corner of Main and Shannon streets in downtown Elburn, and the business owners whose patrons park in that lot, thanks to the intermediary efforts of the village. Village Administrator Erin Willrett and a representative from the Elburn Chamber of Commerce, acting as mediators, will attend this week’s church council meeting and find out if a one month extension is acceptable to the church.

The church decided to sell the lot due to the financial burden of its upkeep, and recently announced that it would close the lot to public parking on March 15. Downtown business owners, fearing a loss of business if customers did not have convenient parking, approached the village for help in working out a compromise.

Willrett volunteered to approach the church and see what could be done.

“We were the first to approach the church, and we’re hopeful something can be worked out.” she said.

According to Willrett, following the news of the business owners’ concerns, two separate parties have expressed interest in purchasing the property, listed at $225,000—one interested in it for a parking lot and one for development.

In the meantime, in an effort to provide downtown parking, the village has ordered signs to point the way to the village lot on the southwest corner of North and First streets.

About Lynn Meredith

  • OneWhoCares

    In the meantime, in an effort to provide downtown parking, the village has ordered signs to point the way to the village lot on the southwest corner of North and First streets.
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    Very interesting that the lot above has a bit of interest that is city owned and very poorly maintained. The church lot should not be of interest other than a self interest of a select few.Take care of what you have Elburn instead of talking on more slum lots. The heart of Elburn is not only the interest of the drinking public to have a place to park to get intoccicated.Its surrounds a 1/2 mile sq. or so from North,and Main (Rt.47). That include the southwest corner lot of North and First streets.Lets fix up the lot and clean the sidewalks and driveways to that lot so the public isn’t in danger of personal harm .Sooner of later our city will have a personal injury law suit for lack of being maintained.
    Elburn keep your noise out of church business and handle your own.

  • elburn1

    Shouldn’t the business owners have had a parking plan for their customers that didn’t rely on using a parking lot privately owned by a church?

    Let the business owners work things out with the church. The Village needs to stay out of it.