Cary looks to future developments at State of the Village event

Cary residents will continue to see downtown revitalization efforts this year that include the return of beloved events, a downtown plaza and apartments, Mayor Mark Kownick said during his State of the Village address Thursday at the Cary-Grove Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Cary residents will see updates to popular events, including the return of Cruise Nights and the farmers market moving to downtown.

The Cary Main Street Fest also will return this fall without fencing since alcoholic beverages are allowed in the downtown’s social district.

“It’s going to be a little different. It’s not going to be as intense,” Kownick said. “The biggest thing is that people can just walk in for free.”

The downtown streetscape project will continue this year, as phase one of three is almost complete. Phase two will start this summer to build a community plaza, fireplace and pavilion.

A $538,000 Regional Transportation Authority grant will help fund the plaza project, Kownick said.

“We’re keeping that commitment to community gathering,” he said.

Many residential developments are in the works, including senior housing by Alden and the Ridgeway property off Route 14.

Kownick said developers looking to build a 98-unit apartment building at the vacant property next to Village Hall ended up backing out of the proposal for financial reasons.

The School House Apartments located at West Main and South School streets will be developed by True North Properties. Ten apartments with garages will be available for rent for $2,500 a month.

“This was a really great use of a piece of historical property that will be preserved forever,” he said.

Kownick also expressed criticism toward the state government. He claimed that Illinois owes the village more than $12 million through the Local Government Distributive Fund, which includes local income taxes paid to the state, and 5% is supposed to be returned to municipalities.

“From 2011 until now, the state has shorted the village of Cary over $12 million,” Kownick said. “Can you imagine what we can accomplish with what the state owes us?”

The village received more than $2.7 million last year from the fund, according to the Illinois Department of Revenue.

Gov. JB Pritzker’s recent announcement to try to eliminate the 1% grocery tax also was criticized by Kownick because that tax goes back to local municipalities. Kownick said he expects Cary to lose out on about $500,000 if that tax is removed.

“That sounds great. It’s awesome. Who doesn’t want to save money on taxes? But we’re run on taxes,” he said. “That 1% he wants to cut, he doesn’t see.”

The controversial home-rule referendum was mentioned in the address. Kownick described home rule as “self-determination.”

If passed, the village is looking to initiate a 1% sales tax to “alleviate pressure on our property taxes,” he said.

Residents will vote on the referendum Tuesday.