MATTESON ON THE ECONOMIC RISE

Village of Matteson President Sheila Chalmers-Currin has led the way in helping the Village regroup during her last three and a half years in offi ce. Photo provided by Sheila Chalmers-Currin
Village of Matteson President Sheila Chalmers-Currin has led the way in helping the Village regroup during her last three and a half years in offi ce. Photo provided by Sheila Chalmers-Currin

 Matteson on the economic rise

BY TIA CAROL JONES
     Matteson has been experiencing growth and economic development in the last few years, after having to regroup when economic engines, such as Lincoln Mall, left the South Suburban village. Leading the charge toward an upturn is Sheila Chalmers-Currin.
     Chalmers-Currin has been president of the Village of Matteson for three and a half years. Prior to that, she was a trustee for the Village for eight years.
     During her time as trustee, she was appointed chairwoman of the Economic Development Committee for Matteson.
     Chalmers-Currin has been a resident of Matteson for 37 years and said she moved there when her children were young. “It was the best place I could find for them to grow up and be a part of … I did it as a mother trying to find the best possible place to raise children,” she said.
     Chalmers-Currin was chosen as one of 12 women for the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership in 2005. She said it provided her with great networking opportunities. She was able to meet then-U.S. Senate candidate Barack Obama and worked on his campaign. And, worked with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. “I worked with a lot of individuals who I wanted to move Illinois further. I became Obamatized because I was so entrenched in making sure he became the U.S. Senator, and later on as the president of the United States,” she said.
     Chalmers-Currin said the other thing she learned while participating in the Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership was how to fundraise, something essential to running for political office. She also took a class on communication that trained her on how to deal with mudslinging that might take place during a campaign.
     Chalmers-Currin said her eight years as a trustee served as a stepping stone that led her to run for Village president. She said she used it as a learning process until she felt comfortable to run for Village president. “Once my predecessor decided that he no longer wanted to run, and he would not be running, I looked at timing, I talked with my family and it was the right time, so I moved forward with that,” she said.
      Chalmers-Currin said it was a big hit when Lincoln Mall left Matteson, not only for Matteson but also for the surrounding communities. She said the Village knew things had to be done differently. Chalmers-Currin came into office in 2017 and was baptized in “what could go wrong in retail.”
     “I had a whole slate of things I wanted to do differently and that was to look into e-commerce and to look at what was new and what would be different happening. So, we no longer have the Lincoln Mall, or things of that nature. Retail as we know, it changed, so the Village of Matteson had to change, too,” she said.
     Chalmers-Currin said being an ambassador for the Village has really helped. Sam’s Club has come back with e-commerce and Amazon is building a fulfillment center in the Village. “Once we had the demolition of Lincoln Mall, we knew we had to make changes and we are in the process of doing that now,” she said.
      Chalmers-Currin said she sees the Village of Matteson going in an upward position, with Amazon, and a new Pete’s Market. There hasn’t been a full-service grocery store in Matteson since Dominick’s closed in 2013. And, the Matteson Auto Mall is filled with 12 car dealerships, Chalmers-Currin said.
     She added having Amazon, Pete’s and Sam’s e-commerce are three of the accomplishments she is most proud of. All of those make an impact towards bringing revenue back into the community so that she can do more to resurface streets, improve parks and spur economic growth that others want to be part of, she said.
     “We’re going to move in a positive manner. I’m excited about what could happen in the Village of Matteson and I’m looking forward to what’s right around the corner,” Chalmers-Currin said.
     In 2020, the Village of Matteson submitted a proposal for a casino to the Illinois Gaming Board. Chalmers-Currin said while the process continues, because of COVID-19, it has become somewhat stagnated. However, Matteson is still in the bid for the casino, she added.
     “I still believe the Village of Matteson is the best location for it, right off I-57, Lincoln Highway, Cicero and that corridor right near where the old Lincoln Mall was located, is the best location. I’m hoping the Gaming Board sees it that way, too,” she said. “We believe the Village of Matteson is the place it should be and the reason why, in the spirit of the bill itself, to impact a community that will rise and why not rise from the ashes of Lincoln Mall and have it in the Village of Matteson.”
     The election will take place on Tuesday, April 6. For more information about the Village of Matteson, visit villageofmatteson.org.

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