“It’s hurting. We need to take a real deep dive look and forecast what that’s going to look like at the end of the year,” said Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens, who also serves as a Republican state representative. “Without knowing when folks are going to be able to come back, and at what level … it’s not going to be an easy task, but we’re starting to look at all that stuff on a much deeper level right now.”
While Rosemont’s main industries are struggling, Stephens says he doesn’t think the village will have to seek out alternative ways to raise revenue.
“We finished up the year strong last year, and hopefully there is some business that comes back this year,” Stephens said. “At the convention center, there are some shows that obviously have canceled, there are some that have rescheduled, so right now our schedule’s looking real strong in that final quarter of 2020.”
Stephens says the fate of those events depends on at what level Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker allows businesses to reopen in the coming months.
Community Reporting Series
“Chicago Tonight” is expanding its community reporting. We’re hitting the streets to speak with your neighbors, local businesses, agencies and leaders about COVID-19, the economy, racial justice, education and more. See where we’ve been and what we’ve learned by using the map below. Or select a community using the drop-down menu. Points in red represent our series COVID-19 Across Chicago; blue marks our series “Chicago Tonight” in Your Neighborhood.
