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First there was a vision.
Then there was a lot of hard work.
Now we have an agreement.
Thursday, Feb. 24 was a benchmark day for Rosemont, the positive effects of which will be felt for decades to come. On that day, the Illinois Tollway Board of Directors approved an agreement with Rosemont that will make reaching the village by car an easier experience and pave the way for hundreds of thousands of people per year to enjoy a growing list of new entertainment and shopping experiences.
Yes, late February was a pretty good week for Rosemont. Not only did the Tollway Board approve the agreement to build the new Balmoral Avenue ramp, but also Cook County agreed to repeal the one percent sales tax that its board adopted a few years ago. Once the one percent sales tax elimination goes fully into effect in January 2013, the cost to make most retail purchases in Rosemont will be less. That will have a major positive effect on the new outlet mall that’s planned to open here in late 2012.
Our village board is scheduled to authorize the intergovernmental agreement with the Tollway Board this month. What it does is to authorize the village to finance and construct a new, all-electronic exit ramp on the northbound Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to Balmoral Avenue. Construction of the ramp will begin this spring with completion by the end of 2011. That will be about the same time when our new entertainment district, The Park at Rosemont, opens on property just east of the interchange on the south side of Balmoral. There, several new entertainment venues, including a Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar & Grill” restaurant, King’s Bowling center, and Lansdowne Irish Pub will open. Other entertainment-related offerings may also spring up in that area as well as a central plaza where year-round activities, such as ice-skating in the winter and festivals in the summer will be hosted.
On the south side of Balmoral adjacent to the new ramp, a 200-store upscale fashion outlet mall will open by the end of 2012. And by the end of 2013, Balmoral will be extended westerly to the O’Hare Airport International Terminal offering travelers an easier alternative to reach their planes as they prepare to spread throughout the globe.
The new ramp will bring a simplification in traffic pattens leading into and out of Rosemont. Instead of northbound traffic on the Tri-State having to curl around to an existing exit leading to River Road north of the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and Rosemont Theater, visitors will be able to reach their destination quicker and with little hassle.
This is not only good for Rosemont, but also good for the region. It’s a real shot-in-the-arm for everyone.
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