Highland Park council directs staff to study five business‑development policy options for next strategic plan

Highland Park city staff on Sept. 8 asked the City Council’s Committee of the Whole to give policy direction on five proposed additions to the city’s business and economic development strategic plan for 2026–2030. Staff said they will return with detailed proposals and community engagement if the council wants the items included in the final plan.

Why it matters: The items under consideration—expanded small business incentives, changes to liquor licensing to encourage nightlife, stronger tools for vacant commercial properties, exploring redevelopment of city‑owned (Metra) lots, and occasional street closures in the central business district—affect downtown vibrancy, parking and traffic, property‑owner obligations, and potential public investment in land that could be reused for housing or commercial space.

Staff presentation and the five policy questions Jamie Elder, the city’s business development manager, and Aaron Jason, an assistant city manager, summarized outreach this year that included roundtables with property owners, retailers and service businesses and input from the Business and Economic Development Advisory Group (BDAG). Elder said staff used those sessions and peer‑community research to condense the plan around seven focus areas and to identify the five policy questions for council feedback.

1) Incentives for non‑sales‑tax businesses Staff proposed allowing limited matching grants for businesses that do not generate meaningful sales tax revenue (for example, service businesses), noting that the old exterior improvement grant occasionally covered such uses. The proposed structure discussed was a 50/50 matching grant with a possible cap of $5,000 and a focus on exterior improvements such…