Park Ridge and Elmhurst are very similar in size, income and demographics. It just doesn't make sense that the same store would do well in one town and fail in the other. Ample parking and proximity to similar stores has helped Avenue, a women's clothing store that specializes in large sizes, get off to a rousing start, said assistant manager Shannon Iwasko. The store opened in September in the new Elm Crossing shopping center at Illinois Highway 83 and St. Charles Road. It is next to Dress Barn, which also carries plus sizes, and near Kohl's department store.
People come to the shopping center because they can hit all three stores in one trip.
The competition has actually helped all of us because it serves the customer. While Elm Crossing seems to be pulling retail traffic away from downtown Elmhurst, that's not necessarily a bad thing, Skoog said. We have 150 families moving into all the new downtown residential developments, and maybe they want entertainment more than they want shopping. We've gotten several new restaurants downtown, and several of those have started offering live music on the weekends, which seems to be working very well. The City Council has been pursuing plans to turn the central business district into a pedestrian paradise for nearly two years, bringing in condominiums and townhouses as well as expanding the city's two downtown parking garages.