By: Phoenix Discourse
Whitney Woodward is the editor-in-chief.
As usual, the most recent community meeting regarding the Devon/Sheridan Tax Increment Financing district was a wild one. Rogers Park residents again voiced their disapproval for the TIF and explained their concerns about the neighborhood losing its unique atmosphere and community.
In theory, TIFs are supposed to help struggling areas grow economically, sometimes by attracting new businesses to the district's location. One of my many concerns regarding this TIF is what kind of new businesses it will draw to humble little Rogers Park.
My concerns were superficially addressed by Wayne Magdziarz, vice president of capital planning, who said, "Loyola has a commitment to small businesses." He pointed to Loyola's downtown campus and the new stores that opened in the first floor of Lewis Towers last year. Magdziarz said that one of the three storefronts was reserved for a "small business" - that being Argo Tea. The other two stores? A Hershey's store and a NASCAR store.
Argo Tea is not what I'd call a "small business." With the storefront in Loyola's building, the company has three prime downtown locations. And, Argo Tea employees have said that the company plans to do for tea what Starbucks did for coffee. (Note to Loyola: Starbucks is not a small business.)
My one required "quantitative learning" course at LUC has taught me that one small business out of three total is (roughly) 33 percent small business. My professors have also taught me that 33 percent is an "F." With the newly-implemented TIF, I can only expect that Loyola's failing grade, with respect to small businesses, will continue. (Magdziarz did not elaborate on his comments, despite many attempts to contact him.)
Look at Loyola's Lake Shore campus: This fall, the ATMs owned and operated by Harris Bank - a Chicagoland bank - were replaced with those of J.P. Morgan Chase. Loyola brought a Chipotle to the building it owns at Albion Avenue and Sheridan Road. The university's official university bookstore, formerly Beck's, is now a Barnes and Noble bookstore.
Loyola's Granada Centre is home to three small businesses - Carmen's Beauty Salon, Kaffecino and a tanning salon, slated to open shortly (I'll refrain from chiding Loyola for the tanning salon at the moment, although there is a virtually infinite number of businesses that would be healthier to its student body). But, it's also home to a Subway, a Radio Shack and an MB Financial Bank.
In fact, aside from these three shops, it's hard to find any evidence of Loyola's expressed commitment to the little guy. Loyola uses Aramark, a publicly-traded company (which also provides food services to hundreds of prisons, nationally). The mailroom is managed by Océ, which conducts business internationally.
Loyola's expressed commitment to "small businesses" is a farce. And frankly I've got a hard time understanding why school administrators continue to tout the Lake Shore campus's historic Rogers Park location when the school seems so intent on changing it - and not necessarily for the better.
Judging by Loyola's current understanding of "small business," I can only expect that the type of businesses the school brings in to its planned Loyola Station (and whatever other property it gobbles up) will not reflect the diverse and unique feel of this North Side neighborhood.
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