Carol Stream

Q. What signs of economic turnaround do you see in the communities your chamber serves?A. Some of our chamber members have mentioned to us that business is picking up.Q. How optimistic are you that vacant storefronts and office buildings will be filled during this turnaround? Why or why not?A. It may take a while to fill the vacancies that we are seeing. Some smaller shopping centers/strip malls are full or nearly full, while others have a great number of empty stores. One member who was looking to open a second location was surprised at the high, nonnegotiable price on spots he was looking into. He felt there would be more "deals" out there because there were so many options.Q. What is your town's biggest economic development wish? (i.e.: to fill a certain empty big box; to find a developer for a large vacant parcel; to create a town center, etc.)A. I can't speak for everyone but I think it would be a great benefit if a business moved into the former Value City property. The former Family Foods store is finally being occupied by two businesses; one of them, Dollar General, is already open. It's certainly encouraging to our chamber members nearby for the larger stores to be occupied and bring in traffic to the center. It is also encouraging to residents who are tired of seeing an empty building. It brings hope.