Westmont, IL –
Westmont officials voted unanimously to allow a second-hand furniture store to move into a longtime-vacant location in downtown.
The decision is part of a new ordinance designed to attract more types of businesses into the village.
The Village Board reviewed a proposal Sept. 17 to allow the new store, called My Green Attic, to move in to the vacant property at 37 W. Quincy St. The board approved the permits at its Monday, Sept. 21, meeting, on the condition that an unsightly sign on the building be removed.
Under village ordinance, the board was required to approve a special-use permit, which is required for second-hand stores in the downtown business district, said Community Development Director Fred Kimble.
The property had previously housed a dry-cleaner and has been vacant for “quite some time, close to three or four years,” Kimble said.
The store, which will occupy half of the building, will serve as an “upscale resale shop that will focus on high quality used furniture,” said shop proprietor Milissa Parrault.
“My goal is to have a shop were someone could by high-quality furniture at affordable prices,” Parrault said. “A place where someone can also bring in their gently used pieces that could be used in other places.”
The business will be similar to shops such as The Courtyard in Hinsdale and The Perfect Thing in Wheaton, which sell similar types of second-hand home furnishings, according to information provided by the village.
The storefront, which is just to the west of the Westmont Village Hall, will be the first such resale shop in the downtown area. The board approved a new ordinance in May that such a business could be opened with a special-use permit, Kimble said.
Mayor William Rahn said recent changes to the village ordinance now allows this type of a business to be located in the downtown area.
“It is another attempt on our part to bring more businesses of different types into the downtown business district,” Rahn said.
Parrault said this location will be the first My Green Attic store, and that this is her first time with starting her own business.
“My goal is to have a long-term business here, and become a part of the community here,” she said. “I have enough experience in sales where I can make this work.”
The store will likely open in the next two weeks.
Source : www.mysuburbanlife.com
