Village Relaxes Business Policy in Light of Economy

Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar said the village is shifting its business policy to allow businesses that don't generate much, if any, sales tax to move into certain storefronts in an effort to fight off a wobbly economy.

The latest example of such a policy shift came when the Bolingbrook Village Board voted to allow Breathe, the Art of Yoga to move into a space in the Julian's Plaza shopping center last month.

Breathe will not generate sales tax, Claar said. But the village board granted the business a special use permit to operate in a B-2 zoned community retail district anyway. 

Per village code, non-commercial recreational uses are not permitted within B-2 zones without a special use permit.

"We've had a number of issues the last several months with this depressed economy of retail storefronts not finding retail users," Claar said. "We are shifting our policy and allowing [similar buinesses] to move forward because owners are desperate to fill these spaces."

Claar said several other special use permits for non-commercial businesses are in the works.

Sales tax-generating business help the village pay for services such as the Bolingbrook fire and police departments.

Business like Breathe will generate money via property taxes, but Claar said the village's stake of that pot is roughly 8 percent and most of that money goes to pensions.

"It's something we have to watch," Claar said. "This is not unique to Bolingbrook ... but we like to see the storefronts filled and we will be monitoring this closely."

Breathe will move into the space at 128 E. Boughton Road, in Julian's Plaza, the shopping center anchored by and .