Real Estate Developers See Potential In Village Of Harvey


Real Estate Developers See Potential In Village Of Harvey

By Tia Carol Jones

 A coalition has been organized to bring a new development plan, with the goal of revitalizing Harvey and bringing economic development to the Southland. The coalition includes E&S Development, LLC, Matanky Realty and BLK GRVTY, along with other private companies and non-profit organizations.

The $50 million development is planned for 148th and Dixie Highway. It will include 45,000 square feet of commercial space and 64 residential apartments, geared toward senior citizens and veterans at market rate. There will also be 22 townhomes.

 Terri Cox, Senior Vice President of Matanky Realty Group, said that the Southland is an underutilized asset, because the 38 municipalities that make up the area offer infrastructure and vacant land. Kyle D. Garner is the Co-Founder and Managing Member of E&S Development, LLC, he said the development will address the demand for housing in the community and the need for services and resources.

Garner said there has been a lot of due diligence to test the soil and do site work. He said the $50 million is an estimate, and once they receive the data of what it will take to remediate the site, they will have a more definitive number. He said they are hopeful they can break ground later this year. He said they will approach the Village of Harvey in regard to funding. Cox was instrumental in bringing Castle Car Wash to the community.

Cox and Garner met at a conference and talked about opportunities for development in the Village of Harvey. Garner brought the ideas to the Village of Harvey and they were excited about the plans. He said Harvey hasn’t had any substantial development take place in a few years.

“The feedback is that they’re just excited about the scale of the development, the architectural design of it, the accoutrements that are being provided, and most importantly, the services and the voids that it is filling in the marketplace,” Garner said.

The coalition also has planned the Franchise Expo & Economic Development Conference, which will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon Monday, April 20th, at Governors State University in University Park, Ill. Cox said the goal of the expo is to connect franchisors and franchisees. She said it is an opportunity for franchisors, franchisees, architects, attorneys, construction companies, brokers, Small Business Administration lenders and municipalities, as well as nonprofits, to be in one room.

Cox said the hope is that the franchisees who attend the expo can open businesses and with what they learn at the expo can sustain their businesses. BLK GRVTY will help with the education portion of the expo.

“Southland entrepreneurs have always had the ideas and the drive—what’s been missing is access,” Robin Brooks, of BLK GRVTY, said in a press release. “This coalition is about opening doors. We’re creating real pathways to franchise ownership, real exposure to national brands, and real opportunities for small businesses to scale. The Southland deserves an economy that works for the people who live here.”

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