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Starbucks

Mayor Barrett Pedersen, Trustees and Village staff held a ribbon cutting in June, 2017, to welcome Starbucks to Franklin Park. The popular international coffee retailer moved into a recently-constructed 2,500 SF building at 2800 Mannheim Road, on the northwest corner of Grand and Mannheim. The new retail facility features a drive-thru, an outdoor patio, a bright and spacious interior and nitro cold brew coffee on tap. The new Starbucks is located on a former BP gas station site, which was remediated by the property owner in 2009.

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T-Mobile

The Village is pleased to welcome T-Mobile to Franklin Park. Mayor Barrett Pedersen, Trustees and Village staff held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the business's new facility at 2926 N. Mannheim Road, Unit 3. At their grand opening event, T-Mobile invited employees to shave their heads to raise money for Franklin Park children fighting cancer through the St. Baldrick's Foundation. T-Mobile's brand new space is part of a three-unit, 6,000 SF commercial development recently constructed by Glazier Corporation.

Panattoni Development Company

The Village of Franklin Park held a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the largest construction project of 2016: a new 491,089 SF industrial speculative development by Panattoni Development Group at 3400 Wolf Road, the former site of Castle Metals. Over 300,000 square feet of the building has already been leased to distribution firm CST. Panattoni Development Company is one of the largest privately held real estate development companies in the world and has 24 offices in the United States, Canada and Europe.

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Molto Properties

The Village of Franklin Park celebrated the construction of a new 367,000 SF industrial speculative development by Molto Properties with a ribbon-cutting in early November of 2016. The new building at 10501 Seymour Avenue will be followed by construction of a second 106,000 SF industrial speculative building on the same site. Colliers International is currently seeking industrial users for the new space, which is located across the street from O’Hare Airport and less than a mile to I-294 and the I-90 interchange.

Chipotle

Chipotle is open for business in Franklin Park!

Mayor Barrett Pedersen,Trustees Karen Special , John Johnson and Andy Ybarra, Clerk Irene Avitia and Village staff cut the ribbon to officially welcome the new restaurant to the area. Chipotle Mexican Grill is located at 2926 Mannheim Road. Chipotle offers a menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients that are sustainably grown.

Grupo Omnilife SA de CV

Grupo Omnilife SA de CV develops, manufactures, and markets nutritional foods, drinks, and dietary supplements and offers weight-loss products, vitamins and supplements and beauty care products. They are located at 10007 Grand Ave.

Drop It and Drive

April is national Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Franklin Park Police Department is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation to remind motorists that if they drive with a phone in one hand, they can expect a ticket in the other. Not giving driving your full attention can have deadly consequences. Our Police Department is committed to reducing easily preventable crashes caused by distractions such as texting or talking on a cellphones. During the period of April 16-30 patrols will be increased and the Franklin Park Police Department will be ticketing drivers who text or use their cellphones while driving. Don’t let one text or call wreck it all: Drop It and Drive!

Download the entire press release here.....

Seminar on Reverse Mortgages - May 10

The Village will host a free seminar entitled, “Reverse Mortgages, What the TV Ads Don’t Tell You” on Thursday, May 10 at 6:30 PM. This highly informative seminar will explain the advantages and disadvantages of reverse mortgages versus the other financial alternatives available.

The seminar will be held in the Community Room of the Police Station, located at 9451 West Belmont. Registration is not required. Refreshments will be served! For more information, call 847-671-8236.

Understanding Your Water, Sewer and Garbage Fee

Last month all account holders saw a $5 processing fee included on their water, sewer and garbage bill. Many of you had questions about what this fee covers and why it was necessary. You can read a details explanation here ....

Schedule Your Garage Sale

It’s time to plan your garage sale and sell your stuff to someone else! Residents must register with the Clerk’s office one week prior to the sale. There is no cost to register. A garage or yard sale sign can only be placed on your property. Sales can be held for a maximum of 30 hours within a three day period. Sale hours cannot be earlier than 8 AM and must end by 7 PM. There is a limit of 2 garage sales per year per address.

To register for a sale, call 847-671-8242, visit the Clerk’s Office at Village Hall or apply on-line HERE. .

Quiet Zone Update

The Village has received verbal notification that we have been approved for a $1.1 million Pedestrian Rail Safety Grant! The grant will fund a significant portion of the safety improvements needed at the pedestrian crossing at the Calwagner and 25th Street grade crossings and the Metra Station. Next, we will be working with Metra to design and construct the safety improvements. The Village will make street improvements including installing a median barrier at 25th and Ruby. Watch our Village newsletter for updates as we move closer to obtaining a Quite Zone Designation in Franklin Park! .

Seniors to Apply Now for Grass-Cutting Program

The Village is accepting applications now for the Senior Grass Cutting Program, which will run from April until the end of October. Qualified seniors will pay $10 per cut. Applications are being mailed to past participants. New applicants should go to Village Hall or call 847-671-8240. If you have previously been on the grass or snow program and your health condition has not changed, you will not need to send in a new doctor’s note, but will need to submit an application. You must be living on the premises to qualify. Space is limited, apply early..

Railroad Crossing Closure on Mannheim

Update!The IHB crossing improvements have been rescheduled to Saturday, April 21, 2018

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), in conjunction with Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company (IHB) will be making repairs to the badly deteriorated at-grade crossing on Mannheim Road, south of Armitage Avenue. Mannheim Road will be fully closed to through traffic at the IHB Railroad tracks. Check signs for detour routes.

Summer Youth Program

The Village of Franklin Park is now accepting applications for our summer youth program. The candidates must be 16 years of age, enrolled in high school or an accredited college, or university, and must have a minimum of “C” grade point average. Please complete the Village’s application and submit that along with the required documents to Village of Franklin Park Attn: HR Director 9500 Belmont Ave. Franklin Park, IL 60131 Email – resumes@vofp.com

Get Help Applying for Government Programs

Leyden Family Services is available to assist anyone who needs help applying for government assistance programs including, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP, Medicare Savings Program and LIHEAP. Staff can also help you with understanding your medical bills, prescription assistance, getting license plate discounts and free train and bus passes.

Staff will be at Village Hall from 9:30 to 11:30 AM on Wednesday March 14, and 28, April 11, and 25 and May 9 and 23. No appointment is necessary. Please remember to bring your award letter from Social Security and paycheck stubs that show the amount of income you receive.Please check the Document Checklist BEFORE you visit: Document Checklist

Yard Waste Pick-up

The Village will begin regular pick-ups of yard waste starting on April 2. Place yard waste in brown biodegradable bags and put out on garbage day with your recycling. Purchase bags at local grocery and hardware stores. Residents can select alternatives to bagging yard waste such as mulching mowers, leaf shredders or backyard compost piles to help you and the Village to save money!

Property Tax Assistance for Seniors, Veterans and Disabled

Homeowners, born in or before 1952, are eligible to receive a Senior Homeowner Exemption, but must apply each year for this exemption. Applications were mailed recently to homeowners. The Senior Freeze Exemption is available if you have an annual household income of $65,000 or less. There are also exemptions available for Disabled Persons, Disabled Veterans and Returning Veterans.

To get more information regarding these exemptions, go to www.cookcountyassessor.com and click on exemptions or call 312-443-7550. If you are over the age of 65, the State of Illinois has a Real Estate Tax Deferral program that allows you to defer your real estate taxes until the home is sold. To check eligibility and get an application, go to www.cookcountytreasurer.com

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Welcoming Spring to Franklin Park

In Franklin Park, we are ready to embrace springtime and renew our commitment to being a sustainable community. Whenever possible, the Village aims to make financially-smart decisions that also help to preserve our environment. I am pleased that our residents have actively embraced recycling. We have a handy Recycling Guide on our website that indicates which items can or cannot be recycled. As a reminder, please do not place plastic bags in your recycling cart. Plastic bags get caught in the equipment at recycling centers and stop or break the machinery. You can bring your discarded plastic bags and plastic wrap to our local Jewel and they will be recycled properly by the store. Is it possible to have a lawn that looks good without using harmful herbicides and insecticides? The answer is yes! Unlike conventional lawn care, which relies on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to artificially green your lawn, natural lawn care focuses on restoring balance to the soil system, including nutrients that make a lawn healthy. Visit our Sustainability Page to learn more about making the switch to natural lawn care this year.

Tree Planting on Earth Day

Franklin Park is proud to have a Tree City USA designation. Please plan to join me at 10:30 AM on Saturday, April 21 as we plant more trees at 9659 West Grand Avenue. Then head over to the Park District’s Earth Day celebration at North Park from Noon to 2 PM. Remember to bring your electronics, and cell phones for recycling, and any medications and unused prescription drugs so that they can be safely disposed.

Quiet Zone Update

The Village has received verbal notification that we have been approved for a $1.1 million Pedestrian Rail Safety Grant! The grant will fund a significant portion of the safety improvements needed at the pedestrian crossing at the Calwagner and 25th Street grade crossings and at the Metra Station. Next, we will be working with Metra to design and construct the safety improvements. The Village will make street improvements including installing a median barrier at 25th and Ruby. Watch this newsletter and our website for updates as we move closer to obtaining a Quite Zone Designation in Franklin Park!

Mayor Barrett Pedersen