2011 By BILL TUCKER [email protected]The business potential offered in the metro-east can only be swayed so much by the nation's sluggish economy. That explains why more than $6 bil- lion in non-residential projects were at some stage of construction during 2010. The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois announced recently that it had taken a peek into its economic future and liked what it saw. "While the next edition of our compre- hensive 'Market Review & Investment Update' won't be released until early April, we were curious to see how projects that were announced in our 2008-09 edition were fairing given the overall downturn in the economy," incoming Leadership Council Gerard Schuetzenhofer said in a press release. "We were very pleasantly surprised by what we found." According to its report, the Leadership Council listed 135 projects as "announced" prior to Dec. 31, 2009. One-hundred- twelve of those projects were then veri- fied at the end of 2010. Sixty-three of those projects had moved forward during 2010 and had either been completed or were still under con- struction. In addition, 41 projects – totaling $982 million – remain on the "announced" list. Only eight of the 135 projects on the "announced" list had dropped off. The Leadership Council reports that projects that advanced in status from "announced" to "under construction" during 2010 had a total value of $1.09 billion. An additional 31 projects at an esti- mated $4.03 billion had already broken ground and were still in the construction phase. An additional $916.5 million in proj- ects that had either been announced or were under construction during 2009 were completed in 2010, according to the Leadership Council, bringing the total construction dollars at work during the year to more than $6 billion. At the top of the "under construction" list is the $3.6 billion expansion currently under way at the ConocoPhillips Wood River Refinery. That project is expected to be completed later this year. Other key projects providing jobs to the construction trade include: a $79 million Science Building at SIUE, the $55 million new Mascoutah High School and the new $670 million Mississippi River bridge. Among the projects completed during the year were: USTRANSCOM's $130 million command center at Scott Air Force Base, the $16 million National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and the $17 million Army Reserve Center at Rivers Edge. As part of its research process, the Leadership Council has identified 117 new projects in various stages of development for the 2010 edition of the "Market Review & Investment Update." These new projects total more than $675 million in capital investment and more details will be available when the 2010 "Market Review & Investment Update" is released in April. Leadership Council Executive Director Patrick McKeehan said while the area does face a number of challenges, there are still plenty of signs that investors are looking favorably at the metro-east. "In the past year, we heard a lot about the continuing challenges facing our region, from the growing state budget deficit to the ongoing issues related to the metro-east levees," McKeehan said in the press release. "As we reflect on the past year and look to 2011, it's important to take the time to highlight the good things that are still happening across the metro-east and we believe the continu- ing level of investment activity is even more noteworthy because it's occurring in spite of the other challenges. To the Leadership Council, that's a sign inves- tors, developers and business owners in our region have confidence that our leaders are on a solid path to addressing the levee issues and are growing more optimistic about the overall economy." The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois is a member-based, economic development corporation representing Madison and St. Clair Counties. A peek into the future Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois likes what it sees on the horizon in 2011 Rachael Wilbur/Intelligencer Work on the new Science Building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a $79 million project, is one of the projects the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois points to in predicting a bright future for the construction trade in 2011.
The business potential offered in the metro-east can only be swayed so much by the nation's sluggish economy.
That explains why more than $6 bil-lion in non-residential projects were at some stage of construction during 2010.
The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois announced recently that it had taken a peek into its economic future and liked what it saw.
"While the next edition of our compre-hensive 'Market Review & Investment Update' won't be released until early April, we were curious to see how projects that were announced in our 2008-09 edition were fairing given the overall downturn in the economy," incoming Leadership Council Gerard Schuetzenhofer said in a press release. "We were very pleasantly surprised by what we found."
According to its report, the Leadership Council listed 135 projects as "announced" prior to Dec. 31, 2009. One-hundred-twelve of those projects were then veri-fied at the end of 2010.
Sixty-three of those projects had moved forward during 2010 and had either been completed or were still under con-
Only eight of the 135 projects on the "announced" list had dropped off.
The Leadership Council reports that projects that advanced in status from "announced" to "under construction" during 2010 had a total value of $1.09 billion.
An additional 31 projects at an esti-mated $4.03 billion had already broken ground and were still in the construction phase.
An additional $916.5 million in proj-ects that had either been announced or were under construction during 2009 were completed in 2010, according to the Leadership Council, bringing the total construction dollars at work during the year to more than $6 billion.
At the top of the "under construction" list is the $3.6 billion expansion currently under way at the ConocoPhillips Wood River Refinery. That project is expected
to be completed later this year.Other key projects providing jobs to
the construction trade include: a $79 million Science Building at SIUE, the $55 million new Mascoutah High School and the new $670 million Mississippi River bridge.
Among the projects completed during the year were: USTRANSCOM's $130 million command center at Scott Air Force Base, the $16 million National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and the $17 million Army Reserve Center at Rivers Edge.
As part of its research process, the Leadership Council has identified 117 new projects in various stages of development for the 2010 edition of the "Market Review & Investment Update."
These new projects total more than $675 million in capital investment and more details will be available when the 2010 "Market Review & Investment Update" is released in April.
Leadership Council Executive Director Patrick McKeehan said while the area
does face a number of challenges, there are still plenty of signs that investors are looking favorably at the metro-east.
"In the past year, we heard a lot about the continuing challenges facing our region, from the growing state budget deficit to the ongoing issues related to the metro-east levees," McKeehan said in the press release. "As we reflect on the past year and look to 2011, it's important to take the time to highlight the good things that are still happening across the metro-east and we believe the continu-ing level of investment activity is even more noteworthy because it's occurring in spite of the other challenges. To the Leadership Council, that's a sign inves-tors, developers and business owners in our region have confidence that our leaders are on a solid path to addressing the levee issues and are growing more optimistic about the overall economy."
The Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois is a member-based, economic development corporation representing Madison and St. Clair Counties.
A peek into the futureLeadership Council Southwestern Illinois likes what it sees on the horizon in 2011
Rachael Wilbur/Intelligencer
Work on the new Science Building at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, a $79 million project, is one of the projects the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois points to in predicting a bright future for the construction trade in 2011.
Which college majors are like-ly to be in the most demand in the coming decade? The answers really aren’t that sur-prising. Business. Engineering, both mechanical and electrical. Computer programming. Health care. Green jobs.
Many colleges, including Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, rely on research by the National Association of College Employers.
“In their 2011 report, the majors they’re reporting are going to be most in demand are busi-ness, particularly accounting, economics and finance,” says Joshua Kaffenberger, a career counselor with SIUE’s Career Development Center. The center can be accessed from the Morris University Center.
Nationwide, the hot jobs appear to include forensic accountants, credit analysts, pri-vate equity management consul-tants, and commodities agents. Majors associated with those jobs include mathematical statistics and probability, investment and securities, accounting and finan-cial planning.
So-called green majors will also be in demand, Kaffenberger says. President Obama has promised to create 5 million green jobs. The breadth of those jobs will range from cleaning up the environ-ment, dealing with global warm-
ing, installing wind turbines and solar panels, and overhauling the electrical grid. It may also include jobs in the automobile industry, including biodeisels, Kaffenberger says. “The green industry is really growing.”
Employers are anticipating that they will hire more new gradu-ates this year than last, he said.
“One of the most important things is having experience to go with a major,” Kaffenberger said. “That’s what really sepa-rates them from new graduates who just went to class.”
Another major much in demand is likely to be Computer
Management Information Systems, offered by the School of Business. There’s also Computer Science, offered through the School of Engineering.
There’s also the option of con-tinuing in graduate school. Laci Warden received her undergrad-uate degree from SIUE in speech communication and organiza-tional communication.
“Once I graduated I was like ‘Get me out of here. I just want a job.’” she said recently. “But then after I worked for a couple of years, that’s when the economy tanked. I decided ‘Now’s a good time to go back to school.’”
She returned to SIUE and graduated in December with a master’s degree in Speech Communication with an empha-sis in public relations and organi-zational communication.
Warden says she would like to continue working in a university setting. Since her graduation, she has been working as a career counselor with SIUE’s Career Development Center. “I like stay-ing in the university setting,” she says. “Whether it be in career ser-vices or alumni, student affairs, or something like that. I enjoy it, and I think I’ve kind of found my niche here.”
Despite the financial challenges District 7 has been facing as a result of Illinois’ economic crisis, Edwardsville District 7 Superintendent Ed Hightower and the Board of Education firmly believe that the mission of any public school district is to provide the best education possible for its students.
While the district has done a good job in the past despite obstacles, it remains focused on the future and is consistently looking forward at ways to improve even more.
According to the Illinois School Report Card, District 7 students consistently outperform the state average in both reading and math. In fact, nearly 90 per-cent of the 4,000 District 7 students tak-ing the ISAT and PSAE met or exceeded state standards in reading, and more than 90 percent met or exceeded state standards in mathematics. Both percent-ages are up from 2009 scores.
While Hightower, the board and staff are pleased with student test scores, they haven’t been satisfied with main-taining the status quo.
“As educators, we are obligated to students and parents to keep moving forward. It’s our job to provide oppor-tunities for students to be successful not only in school but also as contributing members of our society. We won’t make excuses – we’ll work to find solutions that meet the needs of our students as they transition to a world that is more and more driven by technology,” Hightower said.
Like many school districts across the nation, District 7 is exploring differ-ent ways of delivering curriculum to address the exorbitant cost of traditional textbooks.
According to Hightower, a textbook adoption in District 7 can cost $800,000 or more per curricular area, which is dif-ficult to justify when textbooks become obsolete within three or four years.
“In the future, schools will become less reliant on textbooks as the single source of curricular content,” Hightower said. “Curriculum committees will be charged with creating digital curricula that incorporate a wide range of authen-tic, research-based sources of informa-tion that provide students with access to quality resources, updated information, and media-rich content.”
Hightower pointed out that kids today are surrounded by technology – whether it’s a computer, cell phone, iPod, game player, tablet or all of the above.
“They’re comfortable with accessing and using information in this format, so transitioning to a digital curriculum will allow the district to expose students to cutting-edge information and maintain a high-level of excitement in the class-room by using a delivery system they already use on a daily basis,” he said.
The district is exploring several tools to smooth the transition to a technol-
ogy-based method for delivering cur-riculum. They include interactive white boards (SMART boards), E-read-ers and portable notebook tablets and course management software such as Blackboard or WebCT for high school students.
According to Hightower, incorporat-ing innovative technology into the day-to-day operations of the school district is nothing new.
“In 1997, the district was the first in the area to implement fully an electron-ic grade book at EHS, and in 2006, it was the first to implement a service like TigerView, which allows parents Web-based information on their children, including grades, attendance and daily schedules. In 2007, the district imple-mented the Early Warning Intervention Tracking System, which allows admin-istrators and counselors to track each student’s academic progress and rank-ing on a daily basis,” Hightower said.
Other cutting-edge initiatives include District 7’s more than 10-year partner-ship with SIUE to route buses utilizing the latest in GIS technology and state-of-the-art security technology that includes
a visitor management system and the ability to monitor all security cameras from a central location.
This spring, District 7 will take another step toward making renewable energy a priority for students of all levels. The district was awarded nearly $500,000 last fall to expand its solar energy pres-ence by installing solar panels at Liberty Middle School and Goshen, Cassens, and Worden Elementary Schools. The 100kW panels are 100 times the size of the panel that was installed at EHS South a little over a year ago.
In addition to the environmental benefits of the project, incorporating solar technology into the science cur-riculum will provide new excitement for Edwardsville High School students, providing hands-on experience with working solar panels.
Hightower credits the Citizens Advisory Council for helping to pro-mote the use of technology in the class-room through its annual Motivational Technology Grant competition. The program has been around for more than a decade and is funded by citi-zens’ donations.
“This is truly an outstanding pro-gram,” Hightower said. “The CAC funds proposals that allow teachers to think out of the box, develop inno-vative initiatives and explore ideas that get kids excited about learning. In December, they awarded nearly $13,000 to 15 teachers or teams of teachers for their proposals.”
Having a well-trained staff is criti-cal to the success of any new initiative whether or not it is based in technol-ogy, and the district continually makes strides in this area.
The district will be utilizing its intranet – a secure Web site only accessible by District 7 teachers – to communicate and share curriculum ideas and teaching resources with colleagues without ever having to leave their school for a large meeting in a central location.
The district will also be video-taping trainings and presentations and housing the video on the intranet, making staff development available for use by teach-ers at any time from any computer.
Over the last 10 years, schools have been forced to take a hard look at their operations and improve their services to
students as a result of former President George Bush’s "No Child Left Behind" and President Barrack Obama’s "Race to the Top initiatives."
According to Hightower, that’s the job of all school districts at all times.
“Education should be one of our nation’s top priorities, despite the financial difficulties facing all public agencies,” Hightower said. “It would be easy to stop challenging ourselves given the current economic climate. But the economy can’t be an excuse for fail-ing to do the job we’re here to do, and that is to provide the best education we can for our kids.”
Hightower’s excitement for the future is evident, but he’s well aware of the future financial challenges that the dis-trict has yet to face.
“We are committed to moving for-ward – to preparing our students to be competitive with their counterparts around the country and across the world," he said. "Investing in classroom innovation that fuels students’ passion for learning will be a driving force for curricular reform in upcoming months and years."
Rachael Wilbur/Intelligencer
Edwardsville High School and all schools within District 7 will continue to lead the way in area education with an eye on the future.
Year-End Market Report
Illinois closed out 2010 with a significant boost in December home sales compared to the prior two months, while post-reces-sion price and sales declines have moderated in Illinois.
According to the Illinois Association of REALTORS' latest report, statewide total home sales in December were down 7.3 percent, totaling 7,682 homes sold compared to December, 2009, sales of 8,288. The statewide median price was $140,000 down 7.9 percent from $152,000 in December, 2009.
For the year, Illinois home sales totaled 103,710, down 3.8 per-cent from 107,782 sales during the same period last year. The year-end statewide median price for 2010 was $152,000, down 3.2 percent from $157,000 last year. More than half of Illinois coun-ties showed year-over-year home sales increases or no change for the month of December. Locally, Macoupin County saw a 20.7 percent increase in homes to 35 and an 8.8 percent median price increase to $78,900. Bond County’s median price jumped 180.5 percent from $55,700 in December, 2009, to $156,250 during the same period in 2010.
According to IAR President Sheryl Grider Whitehurst, foreclo-sures are expected to remain a challenge in the marketplace, and REALTORS will work closely with leadership in the lending com-munity to expedite the short sale process and create a more work-able lending environment for qualified buyers.
Buyers can expect affordable housing conditions to remain high through early 2011, with mortgage interest rates still very low. It’s a great time to buy the home you’ve been dreaming of, so contact a REALTOR today.
The Greater Gateway Association of REALTORS serves nearly 1,000 REALTOR and affiliate members in the southwestern Illinois region including the counties of Bond, Calhoun, Fayette, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe, and Montgomery. The Association strives to promote education, professionalism, and ethical conduct in the real estate industry; to advocate for the protection of property rights; to assist in providing Americans with safe and affordable housing; and to further the interest of property ownership.
Lori Eder/For the Intelligencer
Students take queue from market
SIUE Photo Service
Students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and other area colleges are flocking to business departments.
Thursday, February 10, 2011 - FORWARD – Page 3
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The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce will continue to help local busi-nesses in 2011.
Currently the chamber has more than 530 members, and it offers them a long list of benefits includ-ing opportunities to meet poten-tial customers, clients, vendors, etc. through networking events, to learn new skills through sup-plied education programs, to gain access to tools and events that help them market and promote their business and more.
In 2010, the chamber hosted 142 events including 34 ribbon cuttings, 23 Business After Hours and 113 committee meetings.
Incoming President Marc Voegele said the chamber has another full year of events and activities planned.
Voegele said the chamber already has a full schedule of Business After Hours for 2011 – just one of their more than a dozen types of networking events hosted throughout the year.
Voegele said the chamber will also continue to offer education programs in the new year, such as professional development series, seminars and workshops and round table dialogues.
The chamber is currently con-ducting an educational series that is open to both members and non-members.
The chamber has teamed up with the Department of Corporate and Community Learning at Lewis and Clark Community College to offer four professional education classes to everyone in the community this spring. The series, being labeled a “Technology Sampler,” is being sponsored by National Bank, Shell Community Federal Credit Union and TheBANK of Edwardsville.
The series has already com-pleted its first class “QuickBooks: Making the Most of Your Business,” but three classes remain: “QuickBooks: Building Powerful Reports for Managing Your Business” on Feb. 22; “Writing Effective Emails” on
March 29; and “Excel Formulas & Functions” on April 26.
Susan Young, will be teach-ing “QuickBooks: Building Powerful Reports for Managing Your Business.” In this class, Young will teach participants how to build powerful reports in QuickBooks.
Kathy Willis will teach the class "Writing Effective Emails." “Tired of your Emails being misunder-stood? Frustrated by others failing to respond to or act on them?” the program states. During the class, Willis will share how to improve online communications.
The last class, "Excel Formulas & Functions" will be taught by Dawn Zedolek. Zedolek will trouble shoot building formulas in Excel and share useful func-tions in the program.
All classes will be conducted on those set dates from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Room N4 110 at Lewis and Clark Community College’s
N.O. Nelson Campus, located at 600 Troy Road in Edwardsville.
The classes are open to every-one. Each class is $15 for cham-ber members and $20 for non-members, and every class also includes lunch.
Pre-registration is required for each class. The deadline to regis-ter for the next class "QuickBooks: Building Powerful Reports for Managing Your Business" is noon on Friday, Feb. 18 (call the cham-ber at 656-7600 to register).
The Ed/Glen Chamber of Commerce also has plans to con-tinue to help businesses with marketing by offering sponsor-ships and advertising opportuni-ties.
One of its newest programs “Shop Chamber” helps local businesses to lure customers during the holidays.
The chamber started the pro-gram during the last holiday sea-son to encourage residents to shop
chamber businesses by offering them a chance to win prizes.
Anyone who shopped at a par-ticipating chamber business was welcomed to enter into a draw-ing each week during the month of December, and all tickets were then pooled together for a final grand prize drawing the last week before Christmas.
More than 70 businesses par-ticipated in the event in 2009, and more than $4,000 in prizes were awarded including $1,000 cash to the grand prize winner – a gift provided by TheBANK of Edwardsville. All prizes were provided by participating busi-nesses.
In addition, Voegele said the organization plans to continue to host several community events: Mayor’s Breakfast, Fallfest and the Annual Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Halloween Parade (an annual event in downtown Edwardsville that draws nearly
25,000 spectators every year), as well as some of its fundrais-ers that are also fun commu-nity events and great opportuni-ties for networking, such as the chamber’s Annual Auction and Community Awards Dinner.
The Annual Auction/Dinner not only raises money for the chamber, but also is a special event that honors community leaders from both Edwardsville and Glen Carbon. This year the event will be on March 12 at SIUE.
Awards to be presented include: the Albert Cassens Award for Outstanding Community Achievement, Lifetime Achievement Award, Tallerico Leadership Award and Business of the Year Award.
In operation for nearly 90 years, the Ed/Glen Chamber of Commerce is one of the largest business associations in the area.
The organization was most recently ranked by St. Louis
Business Journal as one of the 10 largest chamber of commerce organizations in the St. Louis Region, and third in the metro-east.
The chamber is led by an exec-utive committee. 2011 Executive Committee Members are: President Marc Voegele, First Vice President Skip Sponeman, Second Vice President Paul Millard, Third President Emily Gates, Past President Jay Blanquart and Treasurer Josh Lowe (new); 2011 Board Of Directors: Mike Marshall, Lelan Olsen, Pat Slaughter, Len Scaturro, Todd Silvia, Mark Richardson, Joan Frey, David Toby, Gary Hoggatt, Jr., Danelle Brown, Kelly Wagner, Elizabeth Heil (new) and Cathy Hamilton (new); and Ex-Officio members: Mayor of the village of Glen Carbon Robert Jackstadt, Mayor of the city of Edwardsville Gary Niebur and Superintendent of District 7 Ed Hightower.
The chamber also offers its members the chance to serve on a wide variety of other com-mittees, such as Government Affairs, Finance, Education, Marketing and PR, Web site and Technology, Scholarship, and those that help plan events, such as the Annual Dinner and Auction, Golf Tournament and Halloween Parade.
In addition, the organization offers a Young Professionals Group. The group is open to pro-fessionals between the ages of 21 to 39, and it provides them with the opportunity to meet others, as well as gain leadership skills.
The Ed/Glen Chamber mission states, “Through commitment and involvement of its members, the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce provides leadership for the benefit of the business community by promot-ing economic opportunities, advo-cating in the interests of business, providing members with educa-tion and resources, and encourag-ing mutual support.”
To learn more about the Ed/Glen Chamber or more about any of their upcoming events, visit their Web site at www.edg-lenchamber.com or call them at 656-7600.
“Uptown Collinsville is the functional heart and soul of the city. Nowhere is this better reflected than in its architecture; a melting pot of styles from the time of the city’s incorporation in 1872, through the 19th and the 20th centuries. This area is rich in history, long-standing traditions, historic homes and buildings, distinc-tive neighborhoods, ethnic diversity and traditional buildings that preserve and maintain both the historic identity and culture of Collinsville. Given these sub-stantial assets, this area is experiencing increased development pressure, and is challenged to accommodate this growth while simultaneously preserving and maintaining its rich history and tradi-tions.”
So begins the Uptown Master Plan for the city of Collinsville. Written by city staff, the Uptown Master Plan addresses one of Collinsville’s greatest challenges: to develop the uptown area, make it competitive with surrounding communi-ties, without losing its historic charm and
the city’s making big strides toward that goal. She sees the uptown area mov-ing towards “a Main Street where there are places to go and things to see...res-taurants and entertainment.” City staff believe a vibrant uptown is a key ingre-dient to growing the economy and popu-lation of Collinsville.
The term “uptown” refers to the area between Clay and Church streets, from Aurora at the east to Combs at the west. The past few months have seen changes in this area which are in keeping with the major objectives of the Master Plan.
What are those objectives? Grow retail, provide entertainment and ame-nities, make uptown more accessible, and preserve historic features, to name a few. All these facets work together. Entertainment, amenities, and historic features draw more individuals to the area. More crowds mean a bigger market for the retail shops. And uptown must be accessible so these people will come in the first place.
All these things together make Collinsville a more attractive location to
potential residents and businesses.Joyce and the other members of the
Community Development Department have ushered in progress in each of these areas over the past year.
Retail Growth: A Stronger Economy“The economy is turning right now,
particularly in regards to retail, and we have some major retail development com-ing forth,” says Paul Mann, Community Development Director for the city.
In the past few months, the city’s main drag has seen the birth (or relocation) of new and popular restaurants, shops, and other businesses.
BFF Kids Clothing Boutique at 114 West Main St. just opened this January. It’s the only shop of its kind in Collinsville, and was started by owner Kelly Hollis to fill a specific niche.
Hollis, the mother of an 11-month-old and a 2-year-old, was frustrated by the lack of options for purchasing children’s supplies.
“While I was pregnant I found a lot of nice things on resale. With shopping resale, I found that this area doesn’t have a lot of that available,” Hollis says. “I would drive over to St. Louis look-
ing for nice new things for my kids, and I figured, this is silly! I live here in Collinsville.”
So Hollis started her own resale shop for kids’ clothes. The boutique features a mix of brand-new hand-made items and like-new items acquired on consignment. “We have all nice, clean, like-new items in here,” Hollis says. “It’s not a thrift store by any means.”
BFF opens at 10 a.m. weekday morn-ings, 9 a.m. on Saturday.
Another newcomer to Main Street is Teller’s Restaurant at 102 West Main. When it took over the former State Bank Building in September, it brought a new kind of class to the uptown – an upscale steak and pasta menu, bar, and late-night hours. Inside, a spacious room with ample seating greets visitors, overlooked by a wide staircase and elegant balcony seating.
Tellers is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
The former Glik’s building at 101 East Main is jumping with new activity. It now hosts one of Collinsville’s most popular restaurants, and future plans include a coffee house and community
art gallery.Bert’s Chuckwagon relocated to 101
East Main from its previous Clay Street location because of the expansion of Highway 159. Roger Conner, owner of Bert’s, is thrilled with his new place.
“It’s very nice. We have a lot more space,” Conner says. “Our seating went from about 50 to 100. My kitchen and my cooking area are bigger too, which will allow me to serve more food.”
He says that when Bert’s re-opened in their new space, the first three weeks were “out-the-door craziness” with resi-dents lining up to eat and celebrate the re-opening.
Conner’s son Joel Conner owns Generation T-shirts, also housed in the former Glik’s building, and runs Conner Photography from that location as well. The younger Conner and his wife Shannon plan to open a coffee shop in the front room of the building.
“There’s nothing like that in Collinsville,” Joel Conner says. “The closest thing there is Starbucks...but I’d rather go to someplace small, locally owned.”
See "GROWTH" on Page 5
For the Intelligencer
The Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce predicts even more growth in 2011 like the structural additions at Metro-East Lutheran High School in 2010. Pictured above is the groundbreaking at MELHS.
Collinsville has a "Master Plan" for growth in 2011
There is a light at the end of the tunnel and we are begin-ning to see it. The economy is taking a more positive turn, be it ever so slowly.
For many reasons, people have been using this economic crunch time to re-evaluate their surroundings and consider downsizing. Whether actually seeking monetary value, seek-ing to clean out and reorganize from many years of accumula-tion or the need to liquidate an estate of a passed loved one, 244 Antiques knows exactly how to handle the items that you are seeking to sell.
244 Antiques is owned by Ed and Candy Wentz of Edwardsville. They have been licensed antique dealers for more than 40 years and have a passion and appreciation for items that represent history or are collectible.
“We both have a love for antiques. It is a family pas-sion. Candy’s family was very involved in the buying and sell-ing of antiques and taught me a lot over the years,” said Ed. Both of Candy’s parents were antique dealers and her father connected Ed to the business. Ed was also an administrator in the Collinsville School District for 37 years. Candy worked for 27 years as a sales account executive at The Edwardsville Intelligencer. They managed the business while working their regular daily jobs.
Ed and Candy began by attending auctions, estate sales, garage sales, appraisal fairs, etc. They enjoyed the suspense of not knowing exactly what they would find. “We would look through all the boxes that maybe the owner or other peo-ple wouldn’t necessarily have looked through. A lot of times people just want to get rid of everything and just want you to make an offer. You would never know what would be in that box until you explore it. Sometimes that is where you will find the best items,” said Ed.
“Yes, you would never guess what we have found search-ing through some boxes and items from estates. There are some real treasures,” said Candy. After a number of years of being on the buying end, the couple mutually agreed that they had something to offer in the estate and moving sale mar-ket. They had the knowledge of what most things are worth, and if they didn’t know, they knew people who would help them find out. They had enough
knowledge on how the sales work, or should work properly, and decided that they would be offering a much needed service to the local community.
The name 244 Antiques was the brainchild of Candy, when she was trying to think of a non-typical name for their new endeavor. At the time, the cou-ple lived at 244 Coventry, giv-ing Candy the idea to use their address as part of their new
business name. That must have been a good decision since no one else has the same name, as far as they know, and their name has become synonymous with antiques, estate and moving sales in the surrounding areas.
A side note about “244 Coventry” in Edwardsville, it is the old Wentz homestead and was built by Ed’s grandfather in 1912. The couple lived there for 10 years of their marriage.
Around the time of the begin-ning of 244 Antiques, Ed noticed that he would be in competi-tion with bidding or buying, with Les Buhrmester (yes, the original owner of Buhrmester’s Paint and Wallpaper in Edwardsville) at different sales
he would attend. After getting to know Les and his wife Kathy, Ed and Candy spoke with them about teaming up and working together, which they did for about 12 years. “Those were some great years. We not only built a good business, we made some great friends,” said Ed. Ed still cherishes a spice rack that now hangs in his kitchen, which was acquired at a sale Kathy Buhrmester had after Les’ death. “I remember Les and I bidding against each other for that rack and Les won it. When I saw it in the sale, I knew I had to have it,” said Ed.
Most of us have either faced a time or will face a time where we either have to handle the liquidation of an estate of a rel-ative or a move to another city or state. This experience can be extremely overwhelming if you are not experienced in it. This is where 244 Antiques comes in.
Candy and Ed are experts in relieving much of the stress during what can be a very try-ing time. So often, people don’t have any idea where to begin, what items are, what they are really worth or they want to attach sentimental value to the price of items. 244 Antiques helps to create a “neutral” envi-ronment for families, assisting them with separating items, determining what is really of value and what needs to be donated or thrown away. Their end result is to offer an envi-ronment for the buyers where “everything” in sight is for sale whether it is in the home of the estate, the home of the mover, or in a separate location.
244 Antiques prides them-selves in having an experienced staff that helps with the set-ting up, pricing, day of sale assistance, and even delivery of larger priced items. Staff mem-bers have been with them for a number of years and know how to handle business the way Candy and Ed want it to be done. They are also members of the Better Business Bureau.
244 Antiques charges a 30 percent gross commission, but patrons receive a lot in return, including an accounting of the items sold when the owners receive their check. They get appraisals on all of the items in the sale, assistance learning what items are of value and what are not, hand written and hand tagged pricing of each item, organization and display-ing all of the sale items, all
other operating costs-including paying staff, signage, various advertising including mailing of advertisements of sale to over 900 on their mailing list. They offer an “end of sale” clean out if requested.
244 Antiques advertises its patron’s sales, but it has never had to do business advertising. It has strictly been by word of mouth and it has always stayed busy. Generally Ed and Candy need four to six weeks to com-plete a sale (evaluate estate, set up and sale) from beginning to end. They have handled sales all over Madison County and even in St. Louis. Their general rule is they will handle a sale within an hour’s drive.
244 Antiques will also do individual item appraisals. You can call them and take the item to them or they will come to you. Just call them to set up an appointment.
They also have a couple of booths and work with St. Clair Antique Mall, located in Fairview Heights, next to Lotawata Creek Restaurant, at 315 Salem Place. Phone: 628-1650. The mall has over 150 dis-play booths and 75 showcases. They are open daily at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Ed Wentz will be an appraiser this year at the SIUE Friends of Lovejoy Library 40th Annual Antiques Show and Sale, which will be hosted on Friday, March 11 and Saturday, March 12, 2011. Tickets are $10 for Early Bird Entry beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, $6 for adults, beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, with the show closing on Friday night at 9 p.m. Tickets are good for both days, or it is $6 for entry on Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be 70 quality deal-ers, including 244 Antiques, and free appraisals with paid admission. For complete infor-mation about the sale, visit www.siue.edu/lovejoylibrary/friends/antiques.shtml.
Ed has also provided apprais-als at the Antiques Road Show at TheBANK of Edwardsville and for various other communi-ty clubs and civic organizations.
If you have any questions about the services that 244 Antiques provides or are inter-ested in talking to Ed or Candy about a no-obligation consulta-tion to determine if an estate or moving sale would be the best option for you, call 656-8751 or 830-3127 or e-mail to [email protected].
Page 4 – Thursday, February 10, 2011 - FORWARD
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A passion for treasures from the past
Debbie Settle/Intelligencer
Above, 244 Antiques owners Ed and Candy Wentz have been helping people unclutter their lives for more than 40 years.
By COREy M. WENzELFor the Intelligencer
Many people started the New Year off with a list of goals to achieve.
For many the dream of home ownership is their top priority.
However, there are so many questions when it comes to purchasing a new home: Will home costs rise in the future? Are interest rates really that low? Does owning a home reduce my taxes? How large of a home should I buy? What new subdivi-sions have broken ground in our area?
The dream of home ownership has been affected by the economic recession in different ways for different people, both good and bad.
However, many real estate economists concur that the bottom of the real estate market is near. This analysis is relevant when comparing cur-rent home inventory with expected population growth.
It is possible the current inventory of homes may not meet the future demand and home prices may increase based upon the decrease of new home building.
Also, increases in commodity prices such as lumber, plastics and drywall will add to the costs of new homes. What does all of this mean for the new home buyer? 2011 may be one of the best years to purchase a new home.
Interest rates are still at historic lows and are expected to rise in the future. If all elements remain equal, as interest rates rise, the cost of a home will increase.
Thus, there may not be opportunity to buy a home at the current low prices with such low interest rates.
Does owning a home really decrease my income taxes?
It depends.
If the owner itemizes deductions, then the owner will receive an income tax deduction for the mortgage interest and real estate taxes.
If a family that has adjusted gross income of $125,000 with two children and mortgage interest and real estate taxes that total $20,000, they will effectively save $2,150 in Federal income taxes over the family that has the same income and dependents but do not own their own home.
The size of the home will depend upon the buy-er’s future needs and requirements. The square foot average size of new homes has decreased over the last three years.
The Glen-Ed region has reflected this national trend with new subdivisions offering reasonably sized, energy efficient homes where location is more important than a 2000s style mansion.
Many homeowners also want their signature to show on their home and customization currently is a popular real estate trend.
Location and amenities are always high on a buyer’s priority list. A new addition to the Village of Glen Carbon is the phase two development of Fairfield Subdivision.
This subdivision is striving to meet the modern American family’s needs with great pricing, great location and great opportunity for customiza-tion. Perhaps Fairfield’s greatest amenity is that it will offer a direct walking trail to the new Albert Cassens Elementary school from within the sub-division.
Savannah Crossing subdivision, which is locat-ed in the village of Glen Carbon, seems to fit this profile, also. This southern style subdivision offers moderate square foot homes, great prices and a central location.
The time may never be right for some people to buy a new home, but if you have been waiting for a superior combination of low rates and low prices 2011 may be the perfect year for your new home.
Now may be the right time to turn your home dreams into a reality
Continued from Page 3
The coffee shop will double as Gallery 101, a new art venue which seeks community engage-ment. The younger Conner is ada-mant that this art gallery will not be a professionals-only venue.
“We’ll have all local artists,” he says. “We are wanting to integrate with schools as much as we can...give them a place for students to do their graduating shows, things like that.”
Another transplant to Main Street is Italian grocer and deli Spiritos, which opened its doors at 228 West Main in late June, 2010, after moving from a spot on Vandalia road.
“They were going to be impact-ed by the 159 improvements,” Joyce says. “We wanted to devel-op that building (228 West Main) anyway.”
Joyce approached Spiritos with the idea of moving to Main, and Spiritos accepted.
“They moved there and they love it,” Joyce says. “And they renovated the building on their own.”
She says Spiritos is “experi-encing a significant increase in patronage in their new location due to increased accessibility and foot traffic from Main Street.”
Even businesses which have operated along Main Street for a long time are finding ways to increase their retail business. A1 Party and Wedding Rental at 112 West Main recently expanded in late 2010, tripling their floor space and allowing for a full offering of party supply sales and rentals.
A1 offers all the necessities for a party, from the nuts and bolts – tables, chairs, flatware – to frills and details like balloons, center-pieces, champagne, floral decora-tions and cake.
Store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Historic Preservation: Save the Past, Plan for the FutureSaving historical architecture
and well-loved locations is high on the Uptown Master Plan’s list of priorities.
The Apex Building at 100 East Main was built in 1899 by the American Brewery Co. It was bought by a former Collinsville mayor Guy Kneedler in 1916 and became “The Kneedler Building” for awhile.
It’s housed everything from a saloon to a dentist’s shop, a drug store to a lawyer’s office. More recent tenants include the Mary Ann Shop, Kiddies Korner and Advertiser’s Press. It holds the distinction of being one of the first Collinsville buildings to install an elevator in 1948. It also boasts high quality architecture and brickwork.
Needless to say, Apex is a prime example of a historic building which gives Collinsville a unique character.
So when Apex fell into disrepair and became an environmental hazard, city staff did not immedi-ately reach for the wrecking ball. Instead, they formed a plan to save the building and encourage retail growth at the same time.
“Structurally the building is solid,” says Coordinator Joyce. “It’s just the environmental issues.”
Environmental issues like asbestos, animal remains, and animal waste, things which Joyce points out are “totally fixable” and not worth destroying a per-fectly good building.
The city bought Apex from its previous owner in September, 2010, including the two back buildings behind Apex. The building is being completely gutted, the two back buildings demolished. The whole project costs about $168,095.
Once the city abates all envi-ronmental hazards, it will turn Apex over to a developer who will finish the inside and lease the space to various tenants. The whole project should be finished by late March, 2011.
Ideally, Joyce says, the new space at Apex will feed into the growth of uptown retail. She says she’d like to see “high quality offices on the second floor, and hospitality or unique retail on the main floor.”
The drive for historic pres-ervation coupled with modern usage can also be seen in the Miner’s Institute Restoration Project, which began in 2010 and will stretch well into 2012 and beyond.
The project grew out of a prob-lem. In 2004, a historic structure report revealed that Miner’s had unmet ADA requirements, crowd capacity problems, heating, AC and electrical issues, and needed a “facelift” on the exterior. The city needed to update Miner’s, make it more useful, without los-ing the charm of its old-school architecture.
After deliberation, CARD bought the building and launched the huge task of restoration.
“From it's earliest days, the Miner's Institute was a cultural center,” says Elizabeth Davis, Marketing and Communications Coordinator for CARD. “Not only did miners from across the region come to the Institute for meet-ings and social gatherings, the building also drew nationwide performing acts to Collinsville. When the restoration/renovation project is complete the Collinsville Area Recreation District plans to revisit that part of the building's history.”
They started by working to pre-serve the historic exterior. Called Phase I, this initiative involved reconstructing the old windows, roof repairs, gutter/downspout repairs, replacing cracked brick-work, and repairing terra cotta – all with an eye for the original look and feel of the building.
Phase II, which is still in the design phase, is more complex. It involves an addition to Miner’s, to be built on the city-owned park-ing lot next to Dean’s Liquor. The addition will provide more space and house important equipment.
It will also match the exterior of the original. City staff will place high priority on making sure the new building doesn’t look ultra-modern compared to its dignified parent structure.
One advantage of the Miner’s Restoration is that it fulfills a third goal of the Uptown Master Plan; opportunities for entertainment.
Entertainment and Amenities: Making Uptown “The Place to Be”
When trying to grow an econo-my, business space and sales nich-es aren’t all that matters. After all, if a city doesn’t provide entertain-ment, activities, and amenities, potential consumers won’t be
there in the first place to frequent the stores. Part of the uptown plan’s strategy lies in giving peo-ple reasons to be in Collinsville, as opposed to traipsing across the river to St. Louis.
That’s where the second object of the Miner’s restoration comes in.
“The goal is for the Miner’s Institute to be a multi-disciplin-ary arts organization,” says Joyce. “To be a destination to see per-forming arts as well as...film, and a destination for meetings and events. They’re going to have events space so people can have receptions.”
“CARD's vision is that regional and national speakers, performers, and acts will bring their messages and shows to the Institute,” Davis says. “Of course, the building will also be available for local indi-viduals and civic organizations to utilize. The building will host plays, art exhibits, films, ceremo-nies, musical performances, meet-ings, etc. The Miner's Institute will once again be the cornerstone of Uptown Collinsville. It will bring visitors, stimulate the local economy, and continue alongside Cahokia Mounds and the Brook's Catsup Bottle as another example of the city's history.”
The addition to the building will provide rooms and kitchen space for such activities, though
CARD plans to utilize Miner’s for social functions even before the addition comes.
“CARD plans to use it before the addition is built,” said Director Mann. “They plan to utilize it for smaller venues until that addition comes.” That could be a couple of years, he says, and CARD wants to make the best use possible of the existing structure in the meantime.
Smaller, more regular events like artist shows at Gallery 101 and the Movies on Main series will also help the uptown area, as they provide a steady stream of activities in between the big shows and productions.
A big draw to uptown this year came in the form of free Wifi, courtesy of the city. This service is available from Seminary to Highway 159.
Collinsville Progress, the com-munity development and beau-tification arm of the Chamber of Commerce, helped get that initia-tive rolling.
It will certainly be a welcome addition to the atmosphere at Joel and Shannon Conner’s coffee shop this fall.
But not all community activi-ties can be held indoors. One of Collinsville’s biggest concerns is how to create more open space uptown. The feel of open space in a city encourages foot traf-
fic and visitors. So far, Uptown Collinsville has not implemented many public areas in the city lay-out.
A step in that direction came when the city opened Mutts on Main, a brand new dog park where city canines can play while their owners visit.
“It’s great, we have over 75 members now,” Joyce says. “We’ve had a very positive response. It probably helps that the park is free.”
Dog owners can use the park by becoming members, which requires a membership applica-tion and proof of dog vaccines.
The park is an 8,000 square-foot lot next to Herr Funeral Home, which generously leased the lawn to the city for a tiny cost. Dogs play in a grassy fenced area with toys and exercise equipment. Drinking fountains at human and pooch levels give animals and people alike a place to cool off and meet around the water cool-er, so to speak.
Accessibility: Easy Travel Through Town
The state of city roads is not always the first thing that springs to mind when you think of economic growth. But for the Community Development Department, it’s paramount. Difficult roadways mean people will avoid Collinsville instead of
driving through to see what it’s all about.
“A lot of people skirt Collinsville rather than having to deal with the traffic and with the dog-leg and so forth at rush hour,” says Director Mann.
With winding roads, a confus-ing one-way loop in the center of uptown, and the narrowing of Highway 159 through the city, motorists have reason to dread the rush hour.
That’s why the Highway 159 expansion project is so vital to the growth of the community.
IDOT has been at work on Highway 159 for about a decade. First they widened the segment of roadway between Fairview Heights and Collinsville, then the stretch between Maryville and Glen Carbon. Now it’s Collinsville’s turn.
The project has been broken down into three sections: south, central, and north.
South section includes the stretch of road just north of South Morrison to just north of Church Street. IDOT will widen the road to provide two through lanes in each direction, make intersec-tion improvements, and provide a center turn lane from South Morrison to Loop Street.
This part of the project has gone out for bid, and work is likely to begin this summer. IDOT asso-ciate Jeff Keirn estimated work would be complete by summer of 2012.
Center section reaches from north of Church Street to Johnson Street – the area which includes the one-way “dog leg” which twists around uptown. IDOT will replace this with a straightfoward four-lane highway, two lanes in each direction.
This will improve sight distance, reduce traffic problems, and keep motorists safer. Plus, says Mann, “It will allow for more parking and pedestrian spaces.” Three new parking lots will be built as part of this project.
The work for the central sec-tion should go out to bid this fall, with work to begin soon after. According to Keirn, it may be complete in late fall 2011.
The final north section is still in the planning phase. It would widen 159 to four lanes from Johnson Street to Wickliffe Street, and provide four lanes plus a center turn lane from Wickliffe to Kinloch.
One of the challenges of this section is the stretch of beauti-ful old homes along a portion of affected roadways. Because of the city’s insistence on protect-ing structures of historic value, the roadway in north section will jog slightly east to avoid bringing down any stately old homes to the west.
This part of the project is fund-ed by the FY 2011-2016 Highway Improvement Program. Designs are expected to be complete by summer.
Mann anticipates these improvements to make drivers more comfortable coming through Collinsville. “I expect them to use Collinsville more as a through-way, meaning it opens up a lot of opportunities.”
In short, Collinsville is pushing toward the future with enthu-siasm and hope for economic growth. Although things in town have been slow the last few years, and the Illinois economy at large has been abysmal, the Community Development Department knows that perseverance and planning are the key predictors of success.
“We’re planning now,” says Mann, “infrastructure and capital improvement programs, so when the economy does change and the housing industry does pick up again, we are prepared and ready.”
Thursday, February 10, 2011 - FORWARD – Page 5
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For the Intelligencer
The renovation of the old Ostle building to Spiritos, above, and the artists rendition of the final renovation of the APEX building are signs that Collinsville's "Master Plan" is working.
Ryan Butler and Corey Wenzel became friends in col-lege while both were attend-ing Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
Little did Corey Wenzel know that a couple of years later he would run into Ryan Butler in a business situation.
Wenzel scheduled a meeting with a contractor who he was looking to hire to finish his home in Somerset Subdivision. When Wenzel arrived at the meeting place, out popped Butler from the contractor's vehicle.
Since that time, Wenzel and Butler have teamed up to work together on a number of con-struction projects, Wenzel being the numbers guy, Butler the construction and contracting guy.
Since the partnering in 2003, the economy has gone from the highest of highs to some of the lowest points in history, but thankfully it is bouncing back nicely.
Although a number of con-struction companies have had to throw in the towel and either totally get out of the business or combine with other compa-nies to keep afloat, Remington Properties, the company owned by Ryan Butler, has continued to thrive.
Although Wenzel has a partnership with Remington Properties on a number of proj-ects, Wenzel felt it was time to let the community know why Remington Properties is still getting the job done and is still in demand for new construc-tion.
That reason, according to Wenzel and others who have hired Remington, would be Ryan Butler.
"Anyone who knows Ryan or has had a home built by Ryan would tell you the same thing. He is an upstanding man that puts out a quality product and stands behind that product
no matter what," said Wenzel. "People flock when there is money to be made, but the gen-uine true people remain, and Ryan is one that has remained."
Remington Properties built a number of homes in Somerset Subdivision in Glen Carbon. They also stepped up and took over when a former developer who is no longer in business, left many people in dire straights when they walked away from Fairfield Subdivision.
Many homes were left unfin-ished or not even started. The money that Fairfield buyers put down on properties in good faith was gone along with the developer.
Ryan knew this subdivision was a great location and had great possibilities. He felt so strongly about it that he too moved into the subdivision and
still lives there. He and the other workers for
Remington Properties stepped up to the plate and took on the project of good will and fin-ished many of the homes that sat half finished and worked with the other property owners to get the homes built that had not even been started.
Wenzel points out that you will be hard-pressed to find a contractor that lives among the homes that he built.
Why would that be? Maybe because they don't want to be confronted on a daily basis with the people who live in the homes they built.
That is not Ryan Butler's way. If something isn't right, he makes it right.
"Ryan grew up with a value system that he still lives by today. This is what has made
him the upstanding business man that he is today. This is what has made him one of the largest builders in the area. This is why he is still thriving dur-ing a recession, " said Wenzel. "Ryan continues to dig his feet in and provide a quality prod-uct. People seek him out."
Their Web site home page sums up Remington Properties mission statement best: "At Remington Properties, we build more than homes. We build communities in picturesque set-tings where luxury meets con-venience, and where neighbors become lifelong friends.
"Remington Properties is
there – in the setting that makes your home part of a neighbor-hood, and in the neighborhoods that create your community. We take pride in creating homes that are as beautiful to look at as they are comfortable to live in.
"Each Remington Properties home offers a combination of quality materials and superior design. Remington Properties is a premier builder with attached, detached and custom designs, all of which are found in our residential entry-level and move-up communities.
"When Remington Properties builds a home, the builder
includes a value package which takes the headaches out of mov-ing because the buyer doesn’t need much more than their per-sonal belongings when moving into the new home.
"Remington Properties has a home for everyone, whether you're a first time home buyer, moving up to your second or third home, or an active adult beginning a new phase of your life.
"Our homes range in price from $175,000 to over $550,000.Your family's future is our num-ber one priority. And there is no better place to spend it than in your Remington Properties Home. We welcome your fam-ily to join us."
Currently, Remington Properties has home sites avail-able in Fairfield Subdivision and Savannah Crossing, both in Glen Carbon.
Remington Properties is cur-rently in the planning stage with Wenzel & Associates on a new project that will be located off Governors' Parkway, adjacent to Arbor Lakes Subdivision.
At this time, the project will be called "Old South Subdivision" with premiere southern style home sites.
More information about that subdivision will be available soon.
If you would like more information about Remington Properties, visit www.reming-tonproperties.net or call their office at 205-3236.
Page 6 – Thursday, February 10, 2011 - FORWARD
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For the Intelligencer
Savannah Crossing, at left, and Fairfield Subdivision, above, are just two jobs Ryan Butler of Remington Properties has worked on in the area.
