THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2007
South Side Hotels Clear Major Hurdle
Off The RecordBy TODD WESSELL
One of the last major hurdles leading to the breaking of ground for two new hotels on the city's south side was cleared at Monday night's City Council meeting.
Aldermen gave initial approval of a proposed Planned Unit Development (PUD) at Mannheim Road and Pratt Avenue. If final approval is granted later this month, as expected, construction of two new high-rise hotels totaling 356 rooms will probably begin in November. Ald. Carla Brookman (5th) tried to postpone a vote on the mater at Monday night's meeting. She questioned the financial incentive part of the agreement that utilizes additional money raised with a new hotel-motel tax for that area. In addition, she expressed concern about parking on the property which will fall short of the what is required by local ordinance. The developer has agreed to provide off-site spaces for overflow parking. Before the city will issue building permits, the developer must have worked out parking issues to the city's satisfaction.
This project will be the first of two hotel developments in that area along Mannheim Road in Des Plaines. Two more hotels are planned to be built to the south closer to Higgins Road. Three other hotels currently exist across Mannheim Road in Rosemont with more development planned in that same area. Across Higgins Road, there are two other high-rise hotels---also in Rosemont.
What the building of all these hotels and hundreds of additional rooms says is that the lodging industry has sky-high hopes on the expansion and modernization of O'Hare Airport. O'Hare lies kitty-korner from Des Plaines and Rosemont across Higgins Road. Work is presently underway building a new northern runway parallel to Touhy Avenue. The expansion project, which some estimates say will total $15 billion when all is said, done and spent, will bring in and out 700,000 more flights a year. Many of the passengers on those flights will need places to stay overnight. New hotels in Des Plaines and Rosemont increase the options and promise to generate huge sums of money for those two towns in the form of local hotel taxes, officials hope and believe.
Now, if you throw in a casino---which Rosemont and Des Plaines leaders continue to salivate over---the potential market will bloom like never before---or so the thinking goes. Rosemont is continuing its all out efforts to host a casino as a feeder to its hotels and convention center. To Des Paines, a casino would generate millions for the city treasury from special revenues derived by being the host community, not to mention other potential sources such as food and beverage tax and hotel tax revenue.
Our proximity to O'Hare Airport has an enormous affect on all of us. To some, the effects are negative with loud plane noise, air pollution and potentially dangerous and financially crippling congestion. To others, O'Hare's a godsend providing easy access to anywhere in the world.
What can't be denied is that the tremendous economic benefits of O'Hare will likely continue for many years to come. The arguments and debate over whether the congestion and other negatives that might rise up with the expansion will continue. There is no argument however, that we are all blessed by the existence of O'Hare Airport that lies on property snuggled between Des Plaines, Rosemont, Elk Grove Village, Schiller Park and Chicago. It's a resource we must not only monitor but preserve.