Violet's View

When I started this job, I used to get this look from people when I explained that I worked for Waukegan's downtown development non-profit.  It was sort of a smile and sort of a sigh, and they'd always wish me luck and tell me how much potential downtown had.  It's been an exhilarating and exhausting two years working with our phenomenal volunteers, committed business owners, and dedicated City staff who are all changing the perception of our neighborhood and showing people that downtown Waukegan is a great place to live, work, shop, dine and spend time with friends.  I'm convinced that Waukegan is already amazing and I don't want us to negate the now by just promoting the future. This year I got a tattoo at Dinosaur Studio, made a stained glass project with my dad at Rainy Day Glass Studio, bought a painting at Dandelion Gallery, played guitar at open mic night at Green Town Tavern, got shirts printed at Lake Surf Designs, ordered flowers at Pierce Florist, bought my mom a present at Little Fort Media, listened to live music at Joplin's Java, Jerry's Tacos, Big Ed's, and Burgundy Room, danced at La Opera, saw some incredible shows at the Genesee Theatre and Clockwise Theatre, and a ton of other crazy awesome things.  Main Street put on some fantastic events and we're hard at work behind the scenes to bring some really cool new projects to downtown. I had a really great year, and I can't even wait for 2012.  We've got some great plans and we need your help!  Whether you can give a gift of your time or your money or just your voice in helping us promote what's happening in downtown Waukegan, we need you.  Thanks for all you've done to support our mission this year, and I'm looking forward to the best year we've ever had in 2012.

Waukegan Main Street is proud to announce that one of our new 2012 work plan initiatives includes the formation of a committee on sustainability and green projects.  For more information on our whole plan, click "Get Involved" and "Committees" above.  Do you have an idea that would make downtown Waukegan more sustainable and environmentally friendly?  Here's a link to what other urban downtowns have done recently:  http://www.preservationnation.org/main-street/main-street-now/2011/may-june/ We'd love to have you on our committee!  Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more info and details on our first meeting in January.

Have you been down Washington Street between Genesee and West lately?  There are 3 very cool projects happening right now.  The biggest is the Karcher Artspace Lofts project, which is officially underway!  If you've been following Main Street updates, you know that this renovation project is going to bring 36 artists and their families to downtown Waukegan next year and I can't wait to have them as neighbors.  Another project is happening at 217 Washington Street, next to Burgundy Room.  The old facade has been torn off the building to reveal and even older facade - with beautiful iron work!  Stop by and check it out.  And of course, the Waukegan Building at the corner of Genesee and Washington - this historic downtown office building is undergoing exterior repairs and we look forward to more progress.  Thanks to all of the construction workers doing these great projects to improve our buildings on Washington Street!

Welcome to our newest business member of Waukegan Main Street, Federal Supply!  Located at 116 Washington Street, Federal Supply is an impressive source of high quality restaurant equipment and food service equipment.  They're open to the public and have some really cool kitchen appliances you can use in your own home.  Stop by tomorrow for their 80th anniversary celebration with ribbon cutting ceremony at 3pm, or check out their online catalog at federalsupply.com.   Thank you to the whole team at Federal Supply for all you do for downtown Waukegan!  We are proud to have you as a partner.

If you've been down Genesee Street lately, you've seen how festive everything is looking!  A huge thank you to the amazing team of volunteers and especially Kris, Jane, Chris, Jen, Aimee, and friends who have been stringing lights, decorating storefront windows, and filling our planters with winter greenery.  They've done an amazing job and Waukegan Main Street is extremely grateful for all of the time and effort they have put into decorating the neighborhood.  And another round of thank yous to all of our downtown business owners who have put beautiful displays in the windows, and to the Public Works Department who put up the wreaths on our light poles today!  Everything is looking beautiful just in time for HolidayWauk on Saturday and I have never been so grateful to have such caring Waukeganites doing so much for downtown Waukegan.  Thank you!

My dad and I are taking a stained glass class at Rainy Day Glass Studio and I LOVE IT!  You've got to check them out at 108 S. Genesee Street.  You can also see the project I'm working on, and sign up for a class to make your own.  I'll be there at ArtWauk tomorrow trying to finish it up!

This morning I went to a forum on financing sponsored by Lake County Partners, our county economic development organization.  There are so many good people who really get it - working in and for Waukegan - toward the goals of creating jobs, supporting existing businesses, broadening the tax base, and improving the overall quality of life for all of our residents.  It's an honor to work with these professionals and I'm looking forward to updating all of you on our plans for downtown.  2012 is going to be an amazing year.   One piece of the strategic plan we're developing for downtown includes promoting the new urbanist aspects of Waukegan.  New Urbanism is the movement in planning and community development that recognizes the value of walkable neighborhoods - something we've already got going where I live.  I'm taking a course in how to develop this further, including building more mixed-used developments, creating public spaces, building green, supporting historic preservation, working with market demand and developer interests, as well as how we can most effectively market our successes.  I'd love to talk more about this if you're interested!  Feel free to email me anytime at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Did you see today's News Sun article about the mural on La Opera?  Check it out here:  http://newssun.suntimes.com/8691509-417/community-input-sought-in-waukegan-name-that-mural-contest.html If you've got an idea for the marquee line, post it here!

Have you been to Clockwise Theatre yet?  I've seen all of their plays and loved every one one of them.  It's absolutely amazing what the Clockwise family has been able to do with the huge space next to the Genesee Theatre that used to be the old Main Street office.  I had no idea how much I could appreciate theater and the impact it has on us until Clockwise came to my neighborhood.  Through moving performances of beautifully written plays, Madelyn & Rebecca's team have made me even more proud to live in the Waukegan Arts District.  Our winter ArtWauks are going to focus on the performing arts, and there's no better place to kick it off than Clockwise Theatre.  On November 19th you'll get to see free performances of the hilarious and clever humor from the Highly Improvables, meet the actors, tour the theater, and hear play-readings - all for free!  We've got a lot of cool things happening in downtown Waukegan, but one that's unique here is how accessible we make the arts.  ArtWauks are FREE!  Galleries, restaurants and bars with live music, and now theatres, are open to the public so EVERYONE can experience the arts.  So check out Clockwise - next week for the closing weekend of "The Long Awaited," or November 19th during ArtWauk or December 3rd during HolidayWauk.  More info at clockwisetheatre.org

We've got some huge equipment in downtown today working on demolishing the vacant News Sun Building on Sheridan Road.  Check out their progress when you're in the neighborhood today, and then take a survey on what you'd like to see the College of Lake County put there next!  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NWJMB7F

This week I'm in Galesburg with our Board President Mary Clare and we're learning all kinds of new things at the Illinois Main Street conference.  We've heard some great ideas about historic preservation, volunteer recruitment, business retention and economic development.  Check out the new IMS website to follow what we're doing and to get more involved!  http://www2.illinois.gov/dceo/mainstreet/Pages/default.aspx

If you come downtown right now you'll find Jack Benny plaza covered with zombies!  Tonight's films at the Genesee Theatre include indie film Dead, followed by Night of the Living Dead - starting at 7pm.  Tickets are only $6 for adults and $3 for seniors, kids and military.  More info on tonight's events at: http://www.waukeganweb.net/zombiewauk.html

Culture shock.  This morning I had to drive to class.  DRIVE.  On a highway.  And there was traffic.  I am way too used to walking one block to work in the morning and I absolutely can't wrap my head around how or why so many people do this everyday.  And I miss Joplin's Java.   Can't wait to be back to where I can walk to everything!

Greetings from another downtown!  This week I'm in Naperville for the 43rd Annual Accredited Basic Economic Development Course sponsored by the IEDC (more info at IEDConline.org).   I'm meeting with other economic development professionals and staying up to date on trends in real estate finance & development, business retention & recruitment, marketing, surveying, neighborhood development and a lot more.  Looking forward to being back home on Thursday and putting all these great new ideas into practice!  Okay, back to the homework...  

If you walk by Fong's Kitchen at Genesee and Madison after 10am today, you'll notice something missing.  The historic "Restaurant" sign is coming down for reapairs this morning, thanks to a partnership between Heritage Signs, Paint the Town, and Waukegan Main Street's Sign, Lighting and Awning Program.  The sign will be back up in time for the festivities on October 15th when it will be re-painted and re-electrified. 

Join us at City Council on Monday to show your support for Artspace Lofts coming to the Karcher Hotel. Monday's agenda includes the final approval of the project's redevelopment agreement - and passing it is the next step in making Artspace a reality. To contact your alderman in advance of Monday's meeting and tell him or her that you support this project, click here: http://waukeganweb.net/localgovernment.html More info on the development is available at ArtspaceWaukegan.org Invite your friends!

Hey Neighbors -  I need you!  Tomorrow is the Waukegan Street & Sidewalk Sale and YOU can help us get the word out about upcoming events like ArtWauk.  Volunteer to staff the table tomorrow for an hour by contacting me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  We're also looking for people to take fliers for ArtWauk and Dandelion Gallery's grand opening on August 20th with you to work, to the grocery store, to church, or anywhere you go.  Fliers can be picked up at Dandelion Gallery's new location - 109 S. Genesee Street or at the Main Street office.  Thank you!

Downtown Waukegan has the coolest people.  You'll hear more about some of them tomorrow morning at our Members Plus Gathering at Joplin's Java - like our awesome neighbors at F.I.S.T. who have been transforming our lakefront in partnership with Friends of Waukegan Beach.  I absolutely love walking around downtown in summertime when everybody's outside and they always says hi.  One of my friends remarked the other day that "post-industrial Waukegan has turned into urban Mayberry" and I couldn't agree more.  Come down to my block tonight to chill in Community Garden, for beer pong at Green Town Tavern, or tacos and Jarritos at Taqueria Guerrero, and then sneak a peak in the window of Dandelion Gallery's new space in Merchants Block Building!

Have you seen Art Park lately?  It's getting awesome!  Thank you to Sherwin Williams, Pierce Florist, and Ketchum Painting for their donations to the park!  Be sure to check it out tomorrow during the Wine & Art Stroll.

Now taking suggestions for what to name the boat in Art Park that Tyler and I are going to re-paint tomorrow night!  We'll be prettying up the space at 14 S. Genesee for the next few weeks, and if you'd like to help or have flowers, wind chimes, or durable outdoor sculpture to donate, let us know here: http://www.facebook.com/WaukeganArtPark.  Check back for pictures soon!