This weekend begins the second year of Mount Prospect’s alfresco dining program on Prospect Avenue six on-street parking spaces will be converted into a protected outdoor dining area in front of the Lady Dahlia Tequila Bar Outdoor diners will be sheltered within concrete barriers — village officials said Lady Dahlia and the Patina Wine Bar collaborate with the village on such beautification elements as planter boxes The program will run into the beginning of October Last year’s launch of the program met with some complaints from Prospect Avenue businesses about the loss of parking spaces on the block The village responded by striping approximately 90 new parallel parking stalls along Prospect Avenue west of Pine Street the Village secured an additional 40 parking spaces through a lease with St The lease covers the northernmost section of the lot from 5 p.m The village board ranked the creation of an alfresco dining plan as a high priority in the 2024-25 Strategic Plan The village also plans to complete an engineering study for future streetscape and parking improvements on Prospect Avenue as part of the 2025 Community Investment Plan which is the village’s capital improvement plan Unofficial write-in totals in the recent race for three Mount Prospect village board seats show incumbents John Matuszak and Terri Gens will retain their seats with newcomer Beth DiPrima joining them on the dais The last day the Cook County clerk’s office verified and processed mail ballots was Tuesday Gens finishing in second place with 4,743 and DiPrima in the third spot with 4,574 Lee-Macatangay was originally on the ballot but lost her spot as a result of a challenge to her petitions The election also saw Mayor Paul Hoefert retain his seat defeating Trisha Chokshi 4,724 to 2,464 in unofficial results Matuszak said his priorities in the upcoming term are topped by street lighting within the village “About 73% of the residents in the last community survey said they'd like to see improvements in that area,” he said The village’s economic growth will also be a focus DiPrima indicated she is hitting the ground running “I'm trying to build some relationships among myself and the village staff and the other trustees,” DiPrima said quick start and get some positive stuff done.” Brogan said he remains committed to seeing the village grow and thrive “I will continue to call for transparency and accountability just like I did during the campaign,” he said A single-family home in Mount Prospect sustained significant damage Saturday afternoon when improperly disposed hot coals ignited a fire in an attached garage Mount Prospect firefighters responded to the 900 block of South Tower Drive at 1:49 p.m after receiving reports of a structure fire firefighters saw a thick plume of smoke rising from the location Firefighters arrived within five minutes of receiving the call and found the garage of the split-level home engulfed in heavy smoke and flames They confirmed all occupants had safely evacuated before quickly extinguishing the blaze from the outside and then advancing hose lines inside the home but fire crews remained on the scene for another 75 minutes to make sure the fire had not spread into the home or to the home next door Damage is estimated at approximately $50,000 Fire investigators determined the cause to be improper disposal of hot coals from a contained outdoor fire but residents were temporarily displaced until ComEd could replace the electric service meter and restore power to the home The Mount Prospect Fire Department was assisted by the Des Plaines and Arlington Heights fire departments Mount Prospect village board candidate Jack Brogan owes more than $32,000 in overdue property taxes for four residential parcels he plans to develop along Golf Road acknowledged he is late with the tax payments but said he has been approved for a construction loan and will pay the taxes He said he plans to construct three homes on the property and his banker advised him to pay the taxes when he is ready to build A retired Mount Prospect police sergeant and owner of Brogan Builders Brogan is late with taxes due last year and this year Brogan explained he ran into difficulties stemming from restrictions the village placed on the property in 2022 Those restrictions halted plans for building new homes at 620 E The village board’s approval of the property’s subdivision in September of that year on the recommendation of the planning and zoning commission placed an anti-monotony condition preventing the homes’ exteriors from looking identical “They put a covenant on that land that's never been done before,” said Brogan adding that he has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into the property “They told us about this two hours before the planning and zoning meeting,” he said because the property was for sale for five years current mayoral candidate Trisha Chokshi and then-Trustee Augie Filippone argued the conditions amounted to a restrictive covenant and would not only encumber the property in the future the planning and zoning commission’s chairman “We have never been able to tell them they can't build what's next door.” the village can put conditions on properties when approving zoning changes They also raised concerns about the appearance of one of Brogan’s previous projects Village Manager Michael Cassady said it was common for the village to place conditions of approval on subdivisions on issues ranging from traffic to stormwater he could not name anti-monotony restrictions on subdivisions in the village other than 620 E Today the property remains as it was in 2022 Brogan said multiple contracts have fallen through because of the restrictions and he claims the village is retaliating against him because of concerns he’s raised about the police department Cassady would not comment about Brogan’s claims The owners of CoCo & Blu in Arlington Heights are expanding their horizons with a new venture in downtown Mount Prospect They received the go-ahead for a new restaurant in the former fire and police headquarters now operating as the HQ Residences luxury apartment complex at 130 E The village board last Wednesday also approved $250,000 in tax increment financing assistance and a waiver of up to $6,600 in permit fees for the new 3,300-square-foot restaurant Co-owner Michael Brown said the goal is to open in July or August and son Nate are investing more than $880,000 in the venture CoCo & Blu opened in 2019 and has established itself as a fixture in downtown Arlington Heights “There’s a line from the register to the door for probably a half hour to 40 minutes and the people keep coming every week,” Michael Brown said The name CoCo stands for coffee and cocktails while the Blu refers to Michael Brown’s favorite color CoCo & Maple refers to the new restaurant’s location at Northwest Highway and Maple Street who co-owns the Eiffel Flower shop in Arlington Heights said CoCo & Maple also will sell plants a nod to the arboreal origins of Maple Street name The Arlington Heights restaurant has a full-service coffee and liquor bar The new restaurant will have offerings that tie into the Mount Prospect location CoCo & Maple will occupy the first floor of the building It will include a bar area with seating for nine indoor lounge spaces with space for 11 and an outdoor patio space The patio space on Maple Street will feature a sound wall to reduce train noises Michael Brown is billing CoCo & Maple as a “third space” for the apartment community “People live in small spaces and they need another space to go as a place to relax,” he said Mayor Paul Hoefert noted CoCo & Maple will represent the 15th “eating opportunity” in the downtown we couldn’t get anyone to come to downtown Mount Prospect,” he said Trustees raised questions about noise from the patio and the availability of parking Mount Prospect Community Development Jason Shallcross said the restaurant will not be open during the evening most nights of the week the restaurant will be more than 500 feet from the nearest residential home Shallcross said three parking stalls will be required He said other parking is available in the Metra lot across the street and the village’s parking deck One of the new luxury apartment complexes shaping downtown Mount Prospect has a new owner and a new name The Maple Street Lofts now is owned by Chicago-based TLC Management Co. 192-unit complex the Top of the Mount Apartments The sale did not include the ground-floor retail space occupied by Angelo Caputo's Fresh Markets Last year, the Maple Street Lofts, at 207 S. Maple St., along with two other downtown properties owned by the Papanicholas family — the 20West building at 20 W. Northwest Hwy. and The Dawson, at 235 E. Prospect Ave. — were being marketed as a “Mount Prospect Portfolio: Multifamily Trio.” Pisani said The Dawson and 20West were not part of the transaction with TLC we are committed to providing exceptional living experiences The acquisition of Top of The Mount Apartments aligns with our mission to offer high-quality amenity-rich communities that residents are proud to call home,​” according to a TLC post on LinkedIn it posted about the apartment building’s modern finishes direct access to Caputo’s and proximity to Metra trains TLC is listing apartments at Top of the Mount ranging from one-bedroom units starting at $2,091 and going up to $3,526 for two-bedroom units TLC has been dedicated to delivering everything apartment living should be,” with more than 30 owned-and-operated properties throughout Chicago Top of the Mount is TLC’s second Mount Prospect property Pisani said members of the Papanicholas family were not available for comment “We’re extremely proud of all our developments in Mount Prospect but especially what we’ve been able to bring to the village’s downtown.” “We’d be happy to hold these properties for the next generation of our family,” he added they will be buying some of the best developments in suburban Chicago.” Papanicholas currently has another building under development at 104 E The village board approved the Maple Street Lofts in 2019 the village used $3 million in tax increment financing funds to reimburse a long-standing woodworking company as it relocated from the current site of Maple Street Lofts to the Kensington Business Center the village approved an agreement granting more than $1.5 million in financial incentives to allow for the build out and operations of a Caputo’s As the village initially considered the project it faced opposition from residents who objected to the height of the buildings the possibility of cut-through traffic through residential neighborhoods and the potential impact on property values Papanicholas responded by saying “This project will transform our downtown In our 42 years of being involved in construction and development work we have never worked so long and so tirelessly to craft a perfect project." The woman who was shot multiple times Monday by her former boyfriend who turned the gun on himself and ended his life But Marianne Mock faces a long physical recovery and a longer psychological one To support her in that recovery, a GoFundMe account has been created Sara said her mom had surgery Tuesday to remove bullets from her body even though not everything was removed — she said more harm could be done removing the bullets than leaving them be followed the 63-year-old Mock into the secured garage of a condominium building on the 1200 block of West Northwest Highway at about 4:45 p.m Mock had just come home from work and was on the phone with Sara when Work ambushed her Police said Work drove his vehicle into Mock’s car got out and then began firing multiple times Mock feigned death as Work fatally shot himself who was working at her job in a Mount Prospect salon told someone to call 911 while she stayed on the line Police arrived and found Mock conscious and Work unconscious Both were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge Alex said the family is hoping she will be released within the next couple of days He said she is in a lot of pain but walking around “They're just keeping an eye on all her wounds and making sure they're healing OK before they discharge her,” Sara said I think she is just focusing on trying to feel better Alex said his mother-in-law has shared the details of what happened with close family “She was conscious during the whole thing,” he said from sending flowers to contributing approximately $25,000 to the GoFundMe account “She has had visitors basically around the clock That has been very humbling for our whole family,” Alex said Sara said her mom is on short-term disability and will not be able to go back to her job for some time “She is an incredibly strong person,” Alex said “There is no doubt that in the very near future Both Alex and Sara were shocked by what Work did — Sara thought that her mother and Work had a peaceful breakup “I honestly would not have thought this would have happened in a million years It’s honestly heartbreaking because it was so deceiving.” and I told him that on multiple occasions,” Alex said If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence assistance is available by calling (800) 799-7233 or texting “BEGIN” to 88788 Mount Prospect voters chose continuity over change in the hotly contested race for mayor re-electing incumbent Paul Hoefert to a second term Hoefert led challenger Trisha Chokshi 4,458 to 2,224 in unofficial vote tallies meaning he will extend his more than 30-year career on the village board "I can't thank the people of this village enough for the support they showed in this election,“ a jubilant Hoefert said ”We're going to take our village to new heights The next four years are going to be better than the last four." Hoefert said he took a page out of the campaign playbook of a former Mount Prospect mayor you run like you're 10% behind everybody until the end Chokshi said she conceded and reached out to Hoefert to congratulate him on his re-election “I look forward to speaking with him in the coming days about how we can continue to work together on behalf of this community we both love,” she said She also thanked the residents who came out to vote and expressed her appreciation to everyone who supported her campaign Hoefert mounted a campaign founded on the village’s economic development successes reduced property taxes and improvements in public safety particularly in the village’s neighborhoods He said he wanted to move the village forward an attorney with a Mount Prospect law firm campaigned on bringing collaborative and forward-thinking leadership to the village She cited her experience as former chairperson of the village’s finance commission current president of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce board and a former congressional staffer for the 8th Congressional District Both jousted on such issues as the current legal wrangling between the village and Prestige Feed Products Hoefert said the village handled Prestige the way it would handle any company coming into town But he said the business did not turn out to be what was portrayed Chokshi called for an investigation into the approval process saying Prestige was able to open without going through the formal zoning process She added Prestige’s intentions were clearly written in its building application broad-based community engagement to adapt to the village’s changing demographics Hoefert said the village has been responsive to its multicultural community establishing the Community Connections Center in downtown Mount Prospect He also mentioned the village’s apartment inspection program to improve the quality of housing Mount Prospect village trustees agreed to hire a Chicago firm to test for possible health risks connected with animal feed producer Prestige Feed Products Trustees voted Tuesday to retain RHP Risk Management at a cost of $69,000 to conduct an airborne chemical assessment RHP will provide both air sampling and emission dispersion modeling from multiple data points to assist the village in its ongoing litigation with Prestige Feed “We've heard from residents who complain that they want to know what's being vented,” Village Manager Michael Cassady said “The IEPA has been involved in this for over a year So if there was something that was a significant impact on the public health and safety two Mount Prospect residents vented their frustration with the odors coming from Prestige’s plant at 431 Lakeview Court and its being allowed to operate Zimmerman said he just wants the odor gone Our kids would like to stay out and play later,” he said One resident also complained about work ties between Cassady’s sons and Prestige’s landlord Mayor Paul Hoefert said Cassady disclosed the connection years ago and said the board does not consider it a conflict Hoefert said the village can’t just march in and shut businesses down He said the village has been doing what it needs to do to shut down Prestige but the legal process has moved at a snail’s pace “There are only two ways this is resolved,” Hoefert said “The company moves or they stop spewing the smell.” who is running for the village board as a write-in candidate He called on the village to settle with Prestige “Settle this lawsuit right now to protect these residents pay Prestige Feed what they need to cover their monthly cost to stay closed and pay all their attorneys,” Brogan said Brogan said Prestige should have never been authorized to operate and suggested whoever at the village allowed it should be criminally prosecuted Village officials didn’t say when testing would begin There was no timetable set for the village to release any results senior housing and an athletic facility were some of the suggestions floated Tuesday when Mount Prospect leaders asked the public what they should do with the former Chase Bank property downtown The village is buying the vacant six-story office building at 111 E for $5 million and hopes to have the property under control within the next couple weeks During Tuesday’s public meeting at village hall Community Development Director Jason Shallcross said village could issue a request for redevelopment proposals from builders by March 28 since the Prospect and Main TIF district that includes the site expires in 2039 A TIF district is an economic incentive tool that freezes property taxes within the district's boundaries and places any additional tax revenue created through new development in a special village account to help pay for improvements within the area “Having that TIF tool with as many years as possible is critical,” Cassady said suggested a mixed-use athletic center for the site He said it could attract users to restaurants downtown saying older residents moving out their longtime homes would prefer to stay in Mount Prospect if possible who suggested demolishing the bank building and replacing it with a park “It’s a lot of brick and mortar (downtown),” Styzek said Where's our current outdoor gathering place downtown when we have concerts It's a makeshift green area outside our (village hall) Village trustees presiding over Tuesday’s workshop also weighed in “We're looking for something to be extremely unique,” Trustee Vince Dante said “We don't need to follow suit with Arlington Heights or Palatine or Des Plaines.” Trustee William Grossi said parking needs to be incorporated in the plan as well individuals have a multitude of places to park here so they have been using the empty Chase lot,” he said Raja Krishnamoorthi said he is working to secure $1.735 million in federal funding for Mount Prospect’s new fire station on the south end of town Mount Prospect Fire Chief John Dolan said the funding will help offset the costs of renovating Fire Station 11 the former Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District headquarters at 1415 E toured the facility Friday with Mount Prospect and other officials He said a Community Project Funding request for the project passed the House Appropriations Committee in December but still needs approval from the full House and the Senate He said he is committed to making sure the funding is delivered in full despite recent uncertainty over a proposed freeze on federal assistance “With the Mount Prospect Fire Department’s recently expanded jurisdiction additional resources are essential to ensuring the safety of Mount Prospect and surrounding communities,” Krishnamoorthi said Dolan said he is excited the fire station is on the short list for the Community Project Funding dollars and thanked Trisha Chokshi who is running for Mount Prospect mayor and is president of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce board Krishnamoorthi’s office said Chokshi was the intermediary who helped put together letters of support for the fire department’s funding application said the mention of her involvement caught him by surprise Mount Prospect Village Manager Michael Cassady will receive a raise that boosts his base salary above $300,000 The village board Tuesday approved the new compensation agreement which calls for Cassady to remain with the village through 2028 Cassady’s total compensation package could reach more than $371,000 with various sweeteners including a $30,000 bonus for meeting outlined goals nearly $25,000 in deferred compensation and $4,400 in annual reimbursements for insurance and vehicle use Mayor Paul Hoefert and nearly all the trustees praised Cassady’s body of work Accomplishments noted included: major intersection improvements at Rand Central and Mount Prospect roads; an emergency water connection with the Northwest Water Commission; the annexation of 27.3 acres of commercial and industrial property in the Oakton Corridor; the addition and renovation of a fourth fire station at the former Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District headquarters; and the launching of al fresco dining in the downtown criticized Cassady’s handling of several issues — among them dissolving the Elk Grove Rural Fire Protection District the Prestige Feed Products lawsuit and overtime costs at the new fire station “The village is unfortunately staffing Fire Station 11 on an overtime basis,” he said Trustee John Matuszak said the tax levy has decreased while public safety staffing has increased under Cassady’s leadership “When you look at the entire Northwest Suburbs you have to pay for it,” Trustee William Grossi said Cassady thanked the board and praised his leadership team “I will put (them) against any leadership team in the United States,” he said Mount Prospect is creating a “friendlier” look at its entrances to the downtown and the south end The village board Tuesday examined designs for a gateway plaza at Northwest Highway and Central Road and a welcoming sign at the rapidly developing south side It also discussed signs at the entrances to the Kensington Business Center east of Rand Road and west of Wolf Road which will consist of a green space featuring a 30-foot clock tower awaits construction at a former gas station and auto repair shop site the village bought last year Public Works Director Sean Dorsey said the village is awaiting a green light from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency before starting demolition and construction Dorsey said about two feet of soil needs to be removed and replaced with clean fill that meets agency standards Trustee Terri Gens called the plaza design But she expressed concern for workers coming into contact with hazardous material during demolition Dorsey said there appears to be no issue with vapors He said the contract requires them to wear protective equipment The new gateway sign welcoming residents to south Mount Prospect is proposed at 3229 S The estimated cost to build the sign is $345,000 and an easement agreement with property owner Builders Asphalt is required Community Development Director Jason Shallcross said the sign will have a smooth stone surface and the village logo in black metal Its lettering will include the year the village was established The site will be planted with perennials and annuals The signs at the east and west entrances of the 300-acre business park will cost $160,000 for the Wolf Road sign and $172,000 for the Rand Road sign The cost for design of the signs at the Kensington Business Center and at the south end of the village is $111,000 During his State of the Village address Thursday Mount Prospect Mayor Paul Hoefert coined a new phrase for the village: “Mount Prosperous.” It summed up an upbeat speech during the event presented by the village’s Economic Development Commission at the Old Orchard Country Club Hoefert had plenty of reasons for optimism among them the village board’s decision Tuesday to buy the dormant former Chase Bank building at 111 E “I think everybody in this room knows that this is something that this community has wanted forever,” he said But Hoefert outlined several other reasons to be upbeat among them the village’s healthy financial state Home rule sales taxes are up 3.3% to $7.5 million “We’re going to continue to reduce our dependency on property taxes to fund our operations.” He also expects the village’s credit rating to improve The mayor pointed to the vibrancy of the downtown with such residential projects as The Dawson He also noted new businesses and restaurants Whiskey Hill Brewery & Kitchen and the Khepri Cafe Hoefert lauded what he called the “Randhurst Renaissance,” signified by the opening of such new tenants as Macy’s He also acknowledged such commercial successes in the Rand Road corridor as Raising Cane’s The village’s rapid industrial growth to the south was also mentioned with such projects as the Seefried Industrial Building at 1305 E Algonquin Road and the Cloud HQ Campus at 1200 E Hoefert said the village has shown its commitment to public safety The police department has 88 sworn officers and is working to hire two more the fire department has 81 sworn firefighter/paramedics He said the village has also improved safety with such public improvements as the Main Street and Busse Avenue pedestrian crossing downtown including one at Levee 37 along the Des Plaines River that took hundreds of residents out of the flood plain the Economic Development Commission also honored several businesses and business people — Al’s Shoe Service Nicholas & Associates and T2 Capital Management Mount Prospect is working with local restaurants to reduce reliance on single-use plastics The Single-Use Plastic Utensil Reduction Program — S.U.P.U.R They will be identified by the sky-blue signs bearing the words “Plastic Reduction Partner.” “Our really big goal with this is trying to change the culture that people have in their mindsets around the utensils,” he said Many diners automatically receive a plastic fork with meals The goal of the program is to encourage people to ask if they need utensils and steer restaurants away from automatically providing them if they are not needed Signs are displayed on the restaurant windows advertising the campaign and restaurant staff will issue utensils if they ask for them The program discourages distributing the plastic utensils with carryout food because those are often discarded at home where customers already have utensils if you're going to eat in your car for whatever reason Allain said the village reached out to 142 establishments ice cream shops and coffee shops by using the village’s community development department’s business license and email information The village has also partnered with such groups as the Mount Prospect Downtown Merchants Association Randhurst Village and the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce The village will advertise participating businesses on social media and in the village newsletter the store will store utensils behind the counter This will be a change from the typical layout where diners can help themselves said the program fits in with its sustainability efforts Customers ordering food online are asked if they need utensils to go Martin’s restaurant eliminated all Styrofoam products switched to biodegradable straws and offers customers paper boxes for take-home food Making it optional for customers to take home a fork or spoon also makes economic sense and you could pass that savings along,” he said Mount Prospect mayoral hopeful Trisha Chokshi’s leadership of the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce has emerged as an issue in the race for the village’s top spot she led the organization out of the financial doldrums of the 2010s and put it on sound financial footing incumbent Mayor Paul Hoefert holds a different view He cited the chamber’s lawsuit against the chamber co-op that took over the organization’s management and the chamber’s handling of the downtown block party who said she would step off the chamber board if she wins said under her leadership she took desperate measures to stop the chamber’s financial bleeding in 2020 That included laying off staff and temporarily closing its door and putting the chamber’s management in the hands of Chamber Co-Op Inc “I was the grown-up in the room,” Chokshi said “The village for multiple years provided essentially a blank check to the chamber The pair sparred over the village’s annual block party with Hoefert complaining the village had to take over the event from the chamber and Chokshi complaining the village doubled costs for the event and liability risk Chokshi said the chamber has gone from operating at a deficit to holding a surplus in five years under her guidance She also questioned ties between the village and vendors who donate resources to village events even though some have contracts or receive TIF assistance Organizations step up and they sponsor events.” The chamber’s lawsuit against the co-op is over which party is entitled to $50,000 in grant funds from the state Chokshi called the litigation unfortunate but necessary to protect funds that belong to the chamber Hoefert said the chamber under Chokshi does little more than show up for ribbon cuttings He added the chamber’s website redirects visitors to the co-op looking at finding a new executive director and working on future events and partnerships Addressing residents concerns about possible immigration raids in town Mount Prospect officials this week said they will abide by state law that prevents local police from assisting in most immigration enforcement activities “Our goal of being a diverse and inclusive community is not going to change,” Mayor Paul Hoefert said at a village board meeting Tuesday The village also posted on its website that it will assist federal immigration agents only when officers are presented with a federal criminal warrant or when required by a specific federal law states that a law enforcement agency or official in the state may not participate support or assist in any capacity with an immigration agent’s enforcement operations without a federal criminal warrant “That is the law we followed 2017,” Police Chief Michael Eterno said Eterno said the state law also prohibits the department from sharing information with federal organizations regarding immigration status It also prevents officers from detaining or arresting people strictly on their citizenship or immigration status Resident Carole Delahunty voiced concerns during Tuesday’s board meeting “It’s very frightening to be targeted by the president of the United States,” she said and many are looking to our elected representatives for reassurance and guidance.” One person was hurt in a Monday evening fire at a Mount Prospect house that left the home uninhabitable single-family house on the 0-100 block of Hatlen Avenue just south of Central Road around 6:30 p.m The first companies arrived within five minutes and reported seeing heavy smoke and fire rising from the rear of the building Residents had exited before firefighters arrived; one was ultimately taken to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening It took nearly 30 minutes to bring the fire under control The cause of the fire remains under investigation