La Grange board approves coworking special-use permit with 50% first-floor retail condition

The La Grange Village Board approved a special-use permit on April 14 to allow a coworking facility with a retail component at 30 S. La Grange Road (the former Nixon property), but only after adding a condition that at least 50% of the first floor must be devoted to retail or restaurant use and that an approved floor plan demonstrating that allocation be submitted to the community development director before building permits are issued.

Andrew Nance (listed in the meeting as both Andrew Nance/Nass), representing Brick and Mortar, described the proposal as a co-retailing market for startup brands, with founder talks and periodic events intended to attract visitors. "These are startup brands that are awesome in nature... they would under 1 roof would seem eclectic," the applicant said, framing the plan as a retail incubator rather than conventional office space.

Opponents, including Sweet Spot Coworking owner Sue Reardon, told the board the proposal would shrink first-floor retail and reduce sales-tax opportunities downtown. Reardon said the special-use application would "reduce the 1st Floor space for retail and sales tax revenue from 100% to 18%" and argued the project conflicts with the comprehensive plan's downtown retail standard.

Trustees debated whether the project as drawn met the special-use standards for a first-floor retail district. Trustee Peterson moved an amendment to require at least 50% of the first-floor square footage be devoted to retail sales; after discussion the amendment was seconded, put to a roll-call vote and passed. Attorney Schuster and staff also asked that the board include a requirement that the community development director approve a floor plan demonstrating compliance before the village issues building permits.

Key conditions described in staff and planning-commission materials include: the retail area must be maintained in a designated area, be open to the general public (not only coworking users), be staffed by employees solely engaged in retail sales (not coworking supervisors), remain open a minimum of six days a week for at least eight hours on those days, be kept stocked with product, and include an emergency button connecting directly to the police department. The special-use permit is nontransferable and tied to the applicant as presented.

The amended ordinance was approved on a roll-call vote; trustees recorded four affirmative votes and two negatives, and the measure carried. The applicant will need to present an approved floor plan to staff showing at least 50% first-floor retail before obtaining building permits; if construction does not proceed within one year, the special-use permit may expire under the code provisions requiring timely permit pursuit.

Next steps: the applicant must submit the required floor plan to the community development director to demonstrate compliance with the 50% retail condition before building permits are issued.