The future
There are no village, school district, library or park district board meetings scheduled this week. Instead …
Help Ukrainians
Shir Tikvah, 1424 W. 183rd St. in Homewood, and Gypsy Fix, 1056 Sterling Ave. in Flossmoor, will be drop off sites for a humanitarian drive in support of the people of Ukraine. Organizers ask for donations for first aid kits, ibuprofen and new fleece blankets. Items will be sent to the people of Kharkiv, Ukraine. The drive will run until April 2. For more information, email [email protected].
Downtown Homewood traffic/parking restrictions
Installation of a new water main as part of the Hartford Building construction will require partial lane closers on Martin Avenue south of Ridge Road for two to three days starting Monday, March 28. The four parking spots on the east side of Martin Ave will be barricaded and no parking will be permitted from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the project.
Business update
In the spring edition of the Homewood Village Key, Mayor Richard Hofeld listed new businesses that are in the process of opening.
Some we’ve reported on in the past, including Wind Creek Casino, Homewood Brewery, Stoney Point Grill (in the new Hartford Building), Burlington Coat Factory, 5 Guys, Pita Mediterranean Street Food, Go Puff and the new gas station at Harwood Avenue and 183rd Street.
Some were new to us, including a Big Rocco’s restaurant, which is slated to go into the former Citgo gas station at 2124 183rd St.; Homewood Veterinary Clinic, which will make its home in the current StayFit24 location at 18265 Dixie Highway; Bath and Body Works, which will be located near Best Buy on Halsted Street; and maybe a Raising Cane’s, although Hofeld said the chicken finger restaurant does not yet have a location.
The long-abandoned former Citgo gas station is expected to be purchased by the new owner of the former Homewood Gas Station, seen in the background, on the corner of Harwood Avenue and 183rd Street. The old Citgo station was purchased by the village last year and has undergone EPA review for environmental safety. Homewood Mayor Rich Hofeld announced in the spring Village Key that the new owner plans to develop a restaurant there. (Eric Crump/H-F Chronicle)
Loss
Carol Loreth died March 22 at age 82. She worked at Walt’s Food Center in Homewood and was still roller skated for recreation. In 2017, she generously donated a mature blue spruce tree from her yard after the community’s cherished Christmas tree in Irwin Park was knocked down in a wind storm in 2016. Her tree did not thrive, unfortunately, but park district staff was grateful for her effort to keep the Christmas tree tradition alive.