>> IT'S ONE OF THE PRICIEST AND
FASTEST DEVELOPING COMMUNITIES
IN THE CITY.
THE WEST LOOP IS KNOWN FOR ITS
TRENDY MICHELIN STARRED
RESTAURANTS AND LIVELY NIGHT
LIFE.
IT'S LOCATED JUST WEST OF THE
LOOP.
CENTERED AROUND MADISON,
RANDOLPH, FULTON AND LAKE
STREETS AND THERE ARE
CONSTRUCTION CRANES EVERYWHERE.
AS PARIS SCHUTZ FOUND OUT THAT
DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN BOOM
TIMES FOR EVERYONE.
PARIS JOINS US NOW.
>> ONE OF THE TRENDIEST
NEIGHBORHOODS ANYWHERE IN THE
COUNTRY MANY YEARS RUNNING HOME
TO GIRL AND THE GOAT AND
AVEHICLE.
AND IT HAD TO ADAPT TO COVID-19
LOTS OF OUTDOOR DINING HERE ON
FULTON.
A BIG PORTION IS SHUTDOWN FOR
OUTDOOR DINING.
ALSO OVER THERE ON RANDOLPH AS
WELL.
THE CHALLENGE NOW, ACCORDING TO
RESTAURANT OWNER DONNI MADIA WHO
RUNS PUBLIC INN AND AVEC IS
GETTING THE STAFF BACK AND ALL
THE WORKERS BACK TO MEET THE
DEMAND.
>> EVERYBODY'S THRIVING FOR THE
SAME PERSON, RIGHT?
NOT JUST RESTAURANTS BUT OTHER
INDUSTRIES THAT RESTAURANT
WORKERS WERE ONCE WORKING IN AND
OUR INDUSTRY HAVE NOT GONE TO A
DIFFERENT INDUSTRY.
SO INCHING TOWARDS A CLOSER --
INCHING CLOSER TO FILLING THOSE
DESPERATE NEEDS.
BUT WE STILL NEED A FEW MORE
PEOPLE FOR SURE.
>> A LONG SLOW ROAD BACK.
THAT IS NOT THE ONLY ISSUE
ACCORDING TO MANIAH MALLICK WHO
RUNS ROOH, AN INDIAN RESTAURANT
ON RANDOLPH.
HE SAYS FOOD SUPPLY COSTS ARE
WAY UP.
20-30% DEPENDING ON THE ITEM.
AND HE DOESN'T WANT THAT TO BE
REFLECTED IN THE MENU PRICE
WHICH MAKES THE DAY-TO-DAY CASH
FLOW HIT OR MISS IT IS A
DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS.
ONE BRIGHT SPOT HE SAYS HE IS
SEEING WORKERS COME BACK.
>> POPULAR NEIGHBORHOOD MEANS
HIGHER COSTS.
SO WHEN WE DON'T HAVE GUESTS
COMING IN TO DINE OUR COSTS ARE
NOT GOING AWAY.
SO THE RISK IS HIGHER.
STAFFING LIKE THE REST OF OUR
COLLEAGUES IN THE INDUSTRY, IS
THE NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE.
HOWEVER, WE'VE NOTICED IN THE
LAST COUPLE WEEKS SINCE LABOR
DAY, THINGS HAVE STARTED TO
IMPROVE.
>> MANY BUSINESSES WE HAVE
SPOKEN TO HERE THEY ARE HAPPY TO
BE IN THE WEST LOOP IT IS A
GREAT PLACE TO BE BUT THEY ARE
NOT BACK AT FULL CAPACITY EVEN
THOUGH RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN
LIFTED.
SUSAN ROTHMAN IS THE OWNER OF
PURE BARRE FITNESS AND HER COSTS
STAYED THE SAME AND THE MONEY
COMING IN IS A FRACTION OF 2019
PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO PERHAPS
COME INTO GYMS OR WORKOUT WITH
MASKS.
SHE HAS HAD TO ASK HER LANDLORD
TO CUT HER A LITTLE BIT OF SLACK
AS A RESULT.
>> I WENT TO MY LANDLORDS AND
SAID, HEY BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH
OF THIS, I NEED RELIEF.
AND YOU KNOW IT'S HARD HEARING
SOME OF THE STORIES AND SOME OF
THE DISCREPANCIES.
SOME LANDLORDS ARE WILLING TO
WORK WITH PEOPLE AND OTHERS ARE
PLAYING HARDBALL.
AND TO BE HONEST LOOKING AT THE
COMMERCIAL SPACES AVAILABLE
THROUGHOUT THE CITY IT DOESN'T
SEEM LIKE NOW IS THE TIME TO
PLAY HARDBALL ESPECIALLY WITH
SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESSES THAT
PROVIDE A LOT OF VARIETY AND
VIBRANCY.
>> ROTHMAN IS ON THE AREA'S
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
AND MOST NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD
KILL FOR THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT
AND ACTIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT
THAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN THE
WEST LOOP.
CONSTRUCTION CRANES LITTERING
THE SKYLINE.
MID-RISES GOING UP.
BUT THERE IS A TUG OF WAR WITH
RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES WHO
WANT DEVELOPMENT BUT THEY ARE
WARY OF RISING COSTS THAT THAT
BRINGS AND ALONG WITH THAT THE
RISING PROPERTY TAXES.
>> DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THAT
HAVE HAPPENED AS OF RECENTLY IN
THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THERE HAS
NOT BEEN GIVE WHERE THE
RESIDENTS HAVE NOT VOICED
SOMETHING AND THERE HASN'T BEEN
SOME CHANGE TO FIT INTO THE
NEIGHBORHOOD BETTER TO GIVE BACK
TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHETHER THAT'S IN GREENSPACE OR
MONEY THAT GOES INTO CERTAIN
FUNDS.
THAT IS AN ENCOURAGING AND
PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE IN TERMS OF
RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES,
DEVELOPERS EVERYONE AND THE
CITY.
>> SHIFTING GEARS A BIT.
THERE IS A VENERABLE NONPROFIT
CALLED OPEN BOOKS IT IS A USED
BOOKSTORE THAT USES PROCEEDS TO
PROVIDE READING AND WRITING
EDUCATION AND DELIVER BOOKS TO
STUDENTS THROUGHOUT CHICAGO AND
THEIR FAMILIES.
THE PANDEMIC OBVIOUSLY PUT A
DAMPER ON SOME OF THAT WORK AND
NOW THAT SCHOOL IS BACK THEY ARE
BACK TO DELIVERING BOOKS TO THE
CLASSROOM AND TO THE HOME.
>> RESEARCH SHOWS THE MORE BOOKS
YOU HAVE WITHIN THE HOME WHERE
READING CAN HAPPEN THE MORE
LIKELY A CHILD IS GOING TO BE
ENGAGED IN READING, INTERESTED
IN READING AND PREPARED FOR
KINDERGARTEN ENTRY, PRE-K,
SCHOOL AND THE LIKE.
WE ALSO AGAIN DURING THE
PANDEMIC HAVE BEGUN TO GET BOOKS
TO HOMES.
AGAIN TO HAVE BOOKS IN
CLASSROOMS AND IN HOMES AND
UNUSUAL PLACES, NOOKS AND SMALL
BUSINESSES WHERE WE CAN PROMOTE
FAMILY LITERACY.
>> WEST LOOP AND FULTON MARKET
LIVING UP TO ITS LIVELY
REPUTATION ON THIS CRISP, CLEAR
FALL EVENING.
AND WE'LL BE BACK IN A BIT WITH
THE AREA'S ALDERMAN BURNETT TO