Business View Civil & Municipal Apr-2023

89 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 Highlighting some of the village’s best attributes, Mayor Michelle Nelson boasts, “It’s a beautiful historic town, filled with tree-lined streets, diverse housing stock, and inclusive neighbors. We have wonderful small business owners that offer a variety of goods and services, easy access to the train that can get you anywhere in the city, and excellent schools.” As Flossmoor’s first female mayor, Nelson has been serving the village since May 2021. About this role, she says, “It’s an incredible honor, and it’s something that I take very seriously. I want to make everybody proud of this village and that my leadership was the right decision for the future of our village.” Bridget Watchtel, Village Manager, notes that Flossmoor is also a safe community, with a full service of Police, Fire, and EMS. There is also a strong healthcare presence, with many medical practitioners located in the area. She relays, “Our Metra electric line goes right into the city of Chicago and through Hyde Park and past the University of Chicago. We have, for years, been known as a community where either professors or physicians associated with the university have resided and opened satellite offices.” In 2004 Ingalls Hospital, which is also affiliated with the university, built a three-story Care Center in Flossmoor, bringing urgent care and diagnostic facilities to the village, along with two floors for private medical offices, and becoming a point of pride for Flossmoor. The introduction of a Meijer supercenter store has also been advantageous for the community from both an amenity and revenue point of view. Reporting that Meijer has more than doubled sales tax income for Flossmoor, Mayor Nelson recounts, “The success of the Meijer development wasn’t overnight, it occurred over several years, but they were able to build it without any incentives from the village. It has been a profitable venture for Meijer, and it’s also really helped the village.” An additional 30 acres of village-owned land in the area of the Meijer development is now available, and Nelson says, “We are beating the streets to find a developer. We’re interested in a mix of retail,dining, and also entertainment.” A one- acre parcel in Flossmoor’s vibrant downtown is also awaiting development, with incentives for mixed-use, transit-oriented development. Walkability is another feature of the community, where the majority of streets have sidewalks, and active transportation is encouraged. A FLOSSMOOR I LL INOIS