The Biz Week That Was: Local grocery taxes, crackdown on short-term rentals among the highlights
Like dozens of other communities, Lake Zurich will replace the expiring 1% state grocery tax with a local one starting Jan. 1. Shoppers won’t notice a difference as the local grocery tax will remain 1%, allowing the village to maintain a “critical, stable revenue stream needed for municipal operations.” Lake Zurich has six or more large grocery stores and receives about $1.3 million annually.
Des Plaines enacts grocery tax to avoid losing $1.4 million annually
Des Plaines has joined the growing list of suburbs implementing a local 1% sales tax on groceries to offset the pending elimination of a state tax. Illinois is phasing out a tax on grocery items that generates revenue for the communities where the purchases occurred. It will be eliminated as of Jan. 1, 2026.
Buffalo Grove board approves local grocery tax
Buffalo Grove trustees voted last week to impose a 1% local tax on groceries when the state’s 1% tax expires on Jan. 1. Village officials said that by not taking action, Buffalo Grove would lose roughly $1.4 million in annual revenue for its general operating fund.
Uncharted’s new Wheaton store promises ‘any gift for any occasion’
Uncharted, which opened in Wheaton’s Danada Square West on April 4 and has a grand opening planned for June 7-8, is the company’s second store in Illinois and third in the nation. The Wheaton location, at 116 Danada Square West, occupies 12,076 square feet of space in a former Party City.
Touché French Creole brings New Orleans-inspired cuisine to downtown Aurora
Downtown Aurora welcomed another new restaurant Tuesday with the grand opening of Touché French Creole. The eatery, which promises “soulful New Orleans-inspired cuisine,” is in the historic Hobbs Building at 6 N. River St. It’s the fourth new restaurant to open downtown in the past year.
Mount Prospect’s Maple Street Lofts sells for $60 million
The Maple Street Lofts, a luxury apartment complex in downtown Mount Prospect, now is owned by Chicago-based TLC Management Co., which has renamed the six-story, 192-unit complex the Top of the Mount Apartments. The Wingspan Development Group, which is owned by the Papanicholas family, sold Maple Street Lofts to Stuart Handler, CEO of TLC Management for $60 million.
The party’s over? Glen Ellyn cracks down on short-term rentals
Glen Ellyn is the latest DuPage County community to crack down on short-term rentals after receiving complaints about loud parties and parking problems. Village trustees have prohibited short-term rental stays of 30 days or less.
Palatine Walmart among 11 Illinois stores slated for remodel
This year, Walmart is remodeling 650 stores across the U.S., including 11 stores in Illinois. Walmart on Wednesday unveiled details of the planned store remodels in Illinois, including at 1555 N. Rand Road in Palatine, and new investments focused on enhancing the associate experience and community engagement.