Dear Members:
On December 20, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law a comprehensive gambling bill featuring a Video Gaming Act amendment that will allow qualified nationally-chartered fraternal and veterans organizations to apply for a video gaming license if the proposed establishment meets specified criteria—even if currently prohibited in home-rule communities, as is the case here in Elmhurst.
Strongly supported in both the Illinois House of Representatives (100-11) and Illinois Senate (44-12) during the Fall Veto Session, the bipartisan legislation (House Bill 3136) opens the door for Elmhurst American Legion THB Post 187, Elmhurst Elks Lodge #1531 and Elmhurst Knights of Columbus 1911 Club to install state-regulated video gaming terminals.
Rebuild Illinois Grant Update
First announced last September, the latest installment of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s (IDCEO) Rebuild Illinois capital program will leverage $50 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act to provide grants for construction, repair and modernization of public infrastructure and amenities to boost jobs, improve quality of life and stimulate economic activity for areas hit hardest during COVID-19 pandemic.
To date, IDCEO has awarded $102M in Back to Business Grants to 2,593 small businesses across the state. Only three Elmhurst businesses (Elmhurst Art Museum, Gia Mia Elmhurst and Manny’s Ale House) were among DuPage County’s 128 recipients.
“State of Our City” Mayoral Address
Elmhurst Mayor Scott Levin will deliver the Annual “State of Our City” Mayoral Address at a Membership Breakfast hosted in the second-floor Hammersmith Community Room at Community Bank of Elmhurst on Thursday, January 20, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. Seating is limited to 100. Click HERE to register.
State of the County Address
DuPage County Board Chair Dan Cronin will deliver his final State of the County Address at an annual multi-chamber luncheon and business expo at the Westin Chicago Lombard in Yorktown on Wednesday, January 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Click HERE to register.
2022 Elmhurst Community Directory
Our Chamber and the Elmhurst Suburban Life/Shaw Media have completed production work on the 2022 Elmhurst Community Directory, which will be Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)-delivered to more than 19,500 residential, business and Post Office Box addresses across Elmhurst starting in mid-January
Civic Hall of Fame Donations
This holiday season, Chamber members made $5,660 in tax-deductible donations in support of the ECCI Centennial Celebration NFP’s development of a Civic Hall of Fame public memorial.
Donations are tax deductible through the Centennial Celebration NFP, which is an Internal Revenue Service-designated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization.
The Civic HOF memorial will feature a TouchPros Touch Wall interactive, touch-screen TV monitor (65 inches) on which users can view biographies, photographs and video clips of each of the inductees, and will be installed in a publicly-accessible location (to be determined). The wall may even “travel” around Elmhurst before finding its final home.
Last August, the NFP made an initial investment of $15,125 to pre-pay TouchPros for the Touch Wall hardware, software and related fees for installation, cloud hosting (five years), site creation (uploading of data, photos and video) and extended warranty (five years).
Since its creation in 1992—then as part of the Opening Ceremonies at the Elmfest community festival—the Civic HOF has welcomed 30 businesspeople, community volunteers and elected officials. Since Elmfest’s finale in 2009, inductees have been honored at ECCI’s Annual Awards Gala in all but one of those years.
To date, the NFP has raised more than $22K in Civic HOF funding towards a $50K goal set within an once-in-a-lifetime $250K Centennial Celebration Capital Campaign established in 2016 as part of ECCI’s 100th Anniversary year in 2018.
Multi-Chamber Danube River Cruise
Our Chamber is among a dozen West Suburban Chamber of Commerce Executives (WSCCE) members partnering to host an Amazing Danube River Cruise aboard the 5-star MS Amadeus from October 12-21, 2022, along with an optional pre-cruise, three-night stay in Prague.
New Members
Our Chamber welcomed 10 new members in December as follows: Al’s Cooling and Heating, Cameo Dental Specialists, Chicago Food Truck Hub, Evolve Beauty Bar & Med Spa, Jennifer Veremis-Goal.Get.Her, Junk Relief, Keystone Financial Group, Patchwork Therapy, Pied Piper Group and Sarpino’s Pizzeria.
Reactivated Members
Bacci Pizzeria, Elmhurst CBD Shop, Hyatt House Chicago Oak Brook and Mind & Body EsSCENTials reactivated their membership in December.
Happy Anniversary
Seven members are celebrating Chamber anniversaries in January as follows: 55 years—Elmhurst Suburban Life/Shaw Media (formerly the Elmhurst Press) and York Furrier; 25 years—West Hill Auto Body; 20 years—Visitation Church, West Suburban Community Church and Yorkfield Presbyterian Church; and 5 years—Evolution Dance Experience.
Dropped Members
The Chamber said goodbye to the following five members in December: American Advisors Group (AAG), ARC Holistic Medicine, D&M Home Improvement, Get Bazzy and Imperial Dade.