Annual Report

2013
Annual Report
Old Town Merchants and
Residents Association
January 30, 2014
Letter from the President
I
t was only a year ago that Old Town was recognized by Realtor.com as one
of the Hottest Neighborhoods in America. Today, I can personally confirm
for you, that it is true!
As you probably know my wife, Laura, and I have sold our business and
property, Trattoria Roma at 1535 N. Wells Street. It broke our hearts to leave
the neighborhood we had been a part of for 28 years, and especially all our
loyal customers and friends, but let me assure everyone that the move has
been good for us.
As we move forward, regrettably I am not eligible to carry on to the Chairman
of the Board position. However, Laura and I will maintain our participation in
the OTMRA as Trustees lending a hand whenever possible.
Thankfully one of our oldest business owners and OTMRA members has
accepted the Chairman responsibility. I give a big thank you to David Dattalo
of the Fudge Pot.
David continually shows his commitment to the Old Town community and
brings his own special point of view to the table. You’re in great hands!
Congrats to Jennifer Tremblay, our new President. She’s one of the hardest
working people I know and I can’t wait to see her put that unstoppable
energy into action the next few years.
Over my time as VP and President, we have made great strides as an
Association. We’ve created and executed a focused marketing strategy and
campaign, coordinated several business showcases and worked with the
community on issues important to everyone. Working together with SSA #48,
Old Town has now added snow removal services, street security and traffic
control. Most of all, I really feel we have come together as a focused team
with common goals – now more than ever.
I thank every member business and resident who participates and who has
allowed me to be part of the Greatest Neighborhood in Chicago.
I know Jennifer, David and the Executive team will continue to raise the bar
and use the great recourses of our community to take us to a whole new level
of excellence!
“See you on the Street”
Ciao,
Marty Sanderson
OTMRA President
Trattoria Roma
HISTORY
Since its foundation in 1971, the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association has continued to serve as the
designated city agency for the Old Town community. In 2001, the Old Town Chamber of Commerce changed its
name to the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association to better reflect a working relationship between the
merchants and residents of the community.
MISSION
To promote and improve the Old Town neighborhood, its businesses and the community as a whole.
Major Highlights and Accomplishments in 2013
JAN
Glunz Tavern Re-Opens
for 1st Time Since
Prohibition
MAY
Shop Wells Retail
Event
SEP
Crush in Old Town
FEB
Up Down Cigar
Celebrates 50 Years in
Old Town
JUN
39th Annual Wells
Street Art Festival
OCT
Live Well: Health and
Wellness Showcase
MAR
OTMRA Annual Dinner at
Palmer House
JUL
A Red Orchid
Theatre’s 20th Season
NOV
Old Town Selected as
“Hottest Neighborhood
in America”
APR
The Fudge Pot Celebrates
50 Years in Old Town
AUG
Old Town Restaurant
Week
DEC
Zanies Comedy Club
Celebrates 35 Years in
Old Town
2013 OTMRA STATISTICS
2013 OTMRA Revenue
2013 OTMRA Expenses
4%
1%
16%
14%
art festival revenue
1%
6%
office revenue
office expenses
art festival expenses
18%
40%
fall fest revenue
comm. enh. revenue
comm. enh. expenses
12%
mark./memb. revenue
64%
fall fest expenses
mark./memb. expenses
7%
annual dinner revenue
17%
annual dinner expenses
COMMUNITY NEWS
 In Memory: Frank Reda, Sr.
In the past year, the Old Town business community lost one of its closest friends.
Frank Reda, Sr., owner of Topo Gigio restaurant, was a legend in the neighborhood and in
Chicagoland. For 25 years, his restaurant has received critical-acclaim and positive word-ofmouth for its traditional Italian fare, select wines and cocktails, and friendly atmosphere.
His presence was as much a part of Topo Gigio’s allure as the food itself. When he passed on
August 14th, 2013 of health complications, the outpouring of love and support was palpable,
as Chicago celebrities and everyday Joes mourned his loss. Mr. Reda could be seen daily at his
restaurant, laughing with staff and sharing stories with customers. As most probably know by
now, “topo” is Italian for “mouse. Frank named his restaurant after a character from The Ed
Sullivan Show.
Mr. Reda was 84 years old when he passed. He is survived by his daughter Sheri and sons Frank Reda, Jr. and Tom. He will be missed in Old
Town, but Topo Gigio will continue to stand and serve future generations in his memory.
 Ward News
27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. continued to serve Old Town and the larger district with
dedication and quality public service. Among his focuses in 2013 was affordable housing, quality
public education, safety initiatives and increased employment opportunities. He and his staff
worked closely with the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association on zoning, beautification
and business recruitment and retention.
Alderman Burnett was honored on July 6th, 2013 with his appointment as the New
Committeeman of the 27th Ward (a position previously held by Secretary of State Jesse White).
The alderman also serves on several City Council committees, is Chairman of The Committee on
Pedestrian & Traffic Safety and holds Board positions in several neighborhood groups. The Near
North Unity Program, an all-encompassing community organization he founded, was able to hire
full-time staff in 2013 and will be fully and independently operational by the end of 2014.
Alderman Burnett strived to continue to work on bringing new development and businesses to
the ward which creates jobs for local residents and brings economic growth to the 27 th Ward.
 OTMRA Staffing
2013 was a year of transition for the Old Town Merchants & Residents Association, as John Blick left to
pursue other interests and job opportunities. John had been with the organization as its Executive Director
since May 2008. In his time here, John oversaw some of the most successful Wells Street Art Festivals to
date, as well as initiating the popular “Live & Laugh” marketing campaign.
Taking over for John is Kevin Barbeau, who was approved as Executive Director in August 2013. Kevin has
been with OTMRA since 2011, when he was hired as the organization’s first Associate Director. In that
position, he streamlined member services, assisted with events/programs, and acted as OTMRA’s liaison to
the City, local groups and media contacts. Before coming to Old Town, Kevin worked for the Laclede’s
Landing Merchants Association in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Kevin brings neighborhood management
experience and a history of success in event planning and community outreach.
The newest Old Town Merchants & Residents Association employee is Jessica Papp, taking over Kevin’s vacated Associate Director position
near the end of the year. Jessica rose to the top of the list of possible candidates, thanks to her professional demeanor during interviews and
work history in the public realm. Prior to joining OTMRA, she worked as a legislative aide for former 32 nd Ward Alderman Ted Matlak, where
she assisted in drafting bills, coordinating Landmark designations and communicating with various constituencies and City departments.
PROGRAMS & EVENTS
Programs and events provide the opportunity for face-to-face relationship-building, as well as a natural setting for
business growth and community engagement. Chamber events also present speakers and programming on a wide
range of current topics affecting business owners and residents.
The Old Town Merchants & Residents Association had another busy year, from large-scale festivals and business showcases to networking
socials and community outreach events. The overall outlook for Old Town was again positive, as more unique, locally-owned merchants came
to the neighborhood and new, exciting developments – both commercial and residential – were announced. This, coupled with the support
and involvement of the Old Town community, helped us repeat as Realtor.com’s “Hottest Neighborhood in America” for 2013!
 FESTIVALS
The 39th Annual Wells Street Art Festival, held the second full weekend in June, was one of OTMRA’s most successful
yet. An estimated crowd of 50,000+ enjoyed delicious food and beverages from our participating merchants, with live
entertainment from Sophie B. Hawkins, The Smithereens, local favorites Trippin’ Billies, Beatles tribute band American
English and more. More than 200 talented artists displayed and sold a variety of artwork including jewelry, paintings,
and furniture. Once again, the OTMRA Festival Committee with help from Chicago Special Events Management planned
a spectacular festival!
The second day of our other summer festival, Crush in Old Town, fell victim to bad weather on its second day
unfortunately, but Day One was sunny, warm and well-attended! The thousands who came on Saturday were treated
with great music, amazing artwork and a fitting send-off to the warm weather months. A new component to the festival
this year was the Mac and Cheese contest. For this, participating merchants were invited to put their own creative spin
on the classic Mac and Cheese dish, making for some interesting and tasty dishes!
 COMMUNITY
This year, among our most successful programs, was the 3rd Annual Holiday Donation Drive.
Thanks to generous merchants and residents in the area, Chicago House, Deborah’s Place, and
Mercy Home (all Chicago-based charities) received nearly 2,000 donation items including clothing,
household items, food, and toys.
In 2013, the community tradition of OTMRA Networking Socials and Nights Out in Old Town
continued. By partnering with neighborhood restaurants and entertainment venues, OTMRA is
able to host 10 of these events each year! Attendees sample delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks
and get to see some of Chicago’s best theatre, improv and comedians. The highlight of the year
came in July, when our Night Out group saw Guy Van Swearingen and Academy-Award nominee
Michael Shannon return to A Red Orchid Theatre for an
extended run of Simpatico. The Man of
Steel star returned to help Red Orchid celebrate its 20th Season.
 BUSINESS SHOWCASE
Shop Wells presented an exciting weekend filled with fashion in May. Many OTMRA retail boutiques participated in the fashion-forward
event which featured trunk shows, personal shopping, fashion workshops, and in-store discounts and specials. We look forward to expanding
the events in 2014!
Old Town Restaurant Week highlighted 13 OTMRA member restaurants in August. Participating restaurants offered special menu items and
deals; the variety of dishes included French cuisine, Italian dishes, American classics and much more. The week’s success ensures this event
will become an annual staple here in Old Town!
Leading up to the Chicago Marathon in mid-October, the health and wellness businesses of Old Town
hosted Live Well, a healthy/active lifestyle showcase featuring professional seminars, free training
sessions, vision tests, enrollment specials and discounts. Old Town’s LIVE WELL event was a great
opportunity to support achieving personal development goals. The Marathon itself was a great scene
as always, with community members embracing the runners, offering cheers of support. We enjoy
the opportunity the Marathon gives to show runners and viewers the Old Town neighborhood.
The Specialty Retail Showcase, held in November, emphasized shopping locally and was a hit!
Participating Old Town Merchants offered patrons many in-store discounts and activities, including
free jewelry cleaning, food samples, and more. This event tied directly into Chicago’s larger “Local
First” campaign, an annual effort to encourage shoppers to patronize the City’s many locally-owned
businesses. Local First directly supports Chicago small businesses and localizes sales taxes that would
otherwise go to national chains or online retailers.
BUSINESS & GROWTH
Old Town continues to be a thriving community, with new businesses opening and new residents moving to the
neighborhood. This past year, Old Town received the distinct honor for the second year in a row of being the most
searched neighborhood in the country!
Old Town Merchants & Residents Association saw growth throughout the year, particularly with the additions of Plum Market on Wells
Street, the new City Target on Division, and the Grand Opening of the beautiful 1225 Old Town apartments. Some of our neighborhood’s
other new additions (and OTMRA’s newest members) are:
Greenheart Shop (1714 N. Wells): Chicago’s premier eco-fair trade non-profit shop, carrying eco fair trade products made by artisans from
around the world. Visitors to Old Town will have a great shopping option, as all products sold in Greenheart support sustainable and fair
business practices.
Luxury Garage Sale (1658 N. Wells St.) and Roam (1419 N. Wells St.): Old Town’s newest clothing boutiques, offer great wardrobe options.
Luxury Garage Sale offers a variety of luxury clothing and accessories, on a consignment basis. Roam, the successor to Cityblue Apparel &
Denim, offers hard-to-find designer brands for men and women.
The Refinery (1209 N. Wells St.): flagship establishment of Chicago-based Entrée Group, Ltd. is a great new restaurant located at the southern
end of Old Town. As the name suggests, refined food and drinks are standard at this local eatery.
We also welcomed Element Wellness (233 W. North Ave.), Pure Barre (1350 N. Wells St.), and Spa Dabin (1212 N. Wells St.) to the
neighborhood. From nutrition and chiropractic, to massage therapy, spa services and everything in between, Element Wellness has you
covered. Pure Barre offers a total body workout on areas of the body most individuals struggle with: seat, hips, thighs, abs, and arms. Spa
Dabin is a Korean word for the process of cleansing negative energy from the spirit and purging stress from the body.
Special recognition also needs to be given to many local merchants celebrating milestones in 2013. The House of Glunz has been in Old Town
for 125 years and recently re-opened their Glunz Tavern, which had been closed since Prohibition! The Fudge Pot and Up Down Cigar are
each celebrating their 50th anniversaries. Finally, live entertainment is booming in Old Town, with Zanies celebrating its 35th year at the Old
Town location, and Red Orchid Theatre celebrating 20 seasons of original plays and performances.
LEADERSHIP
2012-2013
Old Town Merchants & Residents Association
Board of Directors and Trustees
OFFICERS
 Marty Sanderson,
President
Trattoria Roma
 Jennifer Tremblay,
1st Vice President
O’Briens Restaurant
DIRECTORS
 Marc Epstein

Benchmark
 Patty Erd
Resident

The Spice House
 Diana Gits
Vice President
Kamehachi
 Joseph Milito,
Chairman
Resident
 David Dattalo,
Treasurer
The Fudge Pot
 Bert Haas



The Fireplace Inn
Patrick Shaughnessy
Bigwells Technology

Resident
 Chad Novak
Mary Quincannnon
@ Properties
Dinotto Ristorante
 Gary Niemand
Sara Plocker
Sara Jane
Zanies Comedy Club
 Dino Lubbat
Maria Paonessa
Compagnia della Bellezza
Up Down Cigar
 Giulia Sindler,
Mimi O’Brien
Mallory Ulaszek
Roam

Craig Vogel
Resident
TRUSTEES
Allan Ackerman, Resident | Andrew Alexander, The Second City | Walter Burnett, Jr., 27th Ward Alderman | JC Canales, Dinotto Ristorante |
Margaret Comer, Resident | John Cullerton, State Senator | Vi Daley, Resident | Joe Doppes, Bistrot Margot | Ken Dunkin, State Representative |
Tim Egan, Resident | Tom Erd, The Spice House | Judy Erwin, Former State Representative | Sara Feigenholtz, State Representative | Kirsten
Fitzgerald, A Red Orchid Theatre | Linda Gits, Gits Graphics | Robin Hammond, The Second City | Angela Huntemann, North Community Bank |Mattie
Hunter, State Senator | Harry Huzenis, Jameson Realty | Ferd Isserman, Past OTMRA President | Lauren Kaeseberg, Resident | Belle Kerman, Kerman
& Associates | Gertrude Kerbis, Lempp Kerbis Associates | Agnese Milito, Orso’s Restaurant | Frank Milito, Orso’s Restaurant | Joey Mustari, Resident
| Richard Novak, The Fireplace Inn | Peter O’Brien, MADO Management | Reenie O’Brien, Resident | Stanley Paul, Resident | Gretchen Reachmack,
Resident | Frank Reda, Topo Gigio | Frank Reda, Jr., Topo Gigio | Ian Schakowsky, Old Town Aquarium | Jeffrey Siegel, Hygiene Solutions | Michele
Smith, 43rd Ward Alderman | Jesse White, Illinois Secretary of State | Laura Zalloni, Trattoria Roma | David Zimmer, Fleet Feet Sports
SPONSORS
SPECIAL SERVICE AREA (SSA)
SSA 48 includes properties along Wells Street from Schiller
Street to North Avenue, the south side of North Avenue from
LaSalle Street to Orleans Street, and the north side of North
Avenue from LaSalle Street to North Park Avenue.
COMMISSION
 Peter O’Brien
Chairman
 Gary Niemand
Treasurer
 Dino Lubbat
Vice-Chair
Public Way Chair
 Barney Flanagan
Commissioner
 Don Klugman
Communications Chair
 Mark Proesel
Residential Chair
 Mary Quincannon
Commissioner
 David Stone
Commissioner
Commissioners for Chicago’s Special Service Areas are appointed by the Mayor and are
tasked with the oversight and recommendation of annual services and budget. There
are currently 44 active SSAs in Chicago. SSAs contract with local non-profits to manage
the investment in the communities. In the case of SSA 48, its commissioners have
assigned Old Town Merchants & Residents Association as the Sole Service Provider.
Commission meetings are held on a quarterly basis and follow the protocol of the
Illinois Open Meetings Act. All SSA #48 Commission meetings are open to the public.
The first meeting of 2013 was held on January 14, 2013.
2013 SSA 48 Old Town contracts include:
• District-wide sidewalk/street-cleaning, by Cleanstreet
• District-wide snow removal/de-icing, by Illinois Municipal Services
• Enhanced seasonal plantings and decorations, by Old Town Gardens
• Administrative/Operational ServiceManagement, by OTMRA
• Annual Audit, by Pacion Ajder, CPA P.C.
• On-Street Security, by AGB Investigative Services
Live & Laugh
The board and staff of the Old Town Merchants and Residents
Association would once more like to thank its members for their
passion and involvement this year. We look forward to your
participation in 2014 and urge you to contact our office with your
thoughts/ideas on how to make your membership even more
valuable.
If you or someone you know is interested in joining the
Association as a member, please visit
www.oldtownchicago.org/membership or stop by the OTMRA
office for a hardcopy of the Membership Application.
Benefits of membership include:
 Communication: Inform and be informed with regular email
newsletters, print materials and social networking platforms.
 Community Building: Old Town is, first and foremost, a
community that is made special by the people who work and live
here. A membership with OTMRA is our way of putting those
people together to work on common goals, achieve collaborative
visions and strengthen the district from within.
 Marketing: Members are given multiple marketing
opportunities during the year including the banner program,
group marketing, internet visibility and special event publicity.
 Networking activities: Interact with other OTMRA members at
Socials, Nights Out, Business Forums, Grand Openings, and the
Annual Dinner.
 Sponsorship: Business members receive discount vendor rates
for festivals and events put on by the Association, giving them a
chance to reach out to thousands of potential new customers
visiting the district during the Wells Street Art Fest and other
regular events.
Old Town Merchants & Residents Association
1520 N. Wells Street, Lower Level | Chicago, IL | 60610
Phone: (312) 951.6106 | Fax: (312) 951.9427
Website: www.oldtownchicago.org