Community Corner
What Should Go Here: The Empty Lot at 99th and Kedzie
Another prominent corner location in the village awaits a business worthy of its location. What say you?
There is no "For Sale" sign on the empty lot on the southwest corner of Kedzie Avenue and 99th Street, but that doesn't mean we can't speculate about what should go there.
It's been empty as long as anyone I know can remember. There's probably a reason for that, but I don't know offhand what it is. It's likely not even in play from a real estate perspective. Nevertheless, it is empty and it is a prominent location. There's nothing preventing us from using our collective imagination.
In case you haven't walked or driven by, the other three corners of that intersection are occupied by , a four-story multi-family building and a little strip mall with a , and a Chinese take-out restaurant. Beyond that intersection, it's all residential in every direction – mostly single-family homes.
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The lot is deep, but not all that wide. The perfect use would be a business that appealed to both high school students and the neighborhood. My first thought was a little burger hut like Snyder's at 99th and Western or at 99th and Pulaski.
It would have to be small, because space for parking is limited. It would be mostly a walk-up business, which would probably appeal more to the neighbors anyway.
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That's my take. What's yours? Share your views in the comments.
And as an aside, I just want to go on the record and thank Renita Young for the care she took in building the Evergreen Park Patch and the professionalism she showed as its curator.
Whatever Patch decides to do with the EP Patch, it's better to have it than to not have it. I've met Lorraine Swanson, the Oak Lawn Patch editor, and have nothing but respect for her. She'll take good care of the EP Patch.
Similarly, everyone I have met on up the Patch chain of command has shown me a similar level of appreciation for the importance of maintaining a strong presence in Evergreen Park.
At the end of the day, Patch will be what we make it, together. So I encourage you to participate, interact and be part of this online community. The more you do, the more reflective it will be of our community.
