Niles Mayor George Alpogianis emphasized the village’s efforts to attract “affluent young professionals,” continuing work to renovate Golf Mill Shopping Center and recent infrastructure work during his State of the Village address at the Niles Chamber of Commerce annual luncheon Thursday.

He thanked the gathered Chamber of Commerce members for their contribution to the community, saying “it’s your health as businesses that generates sales tax to fund our village services and makes Niles a great place for our residents to live.”

Alpogianis touched on a recently approved 235-unit residential building set to go up on the 6600 block of Milwaukee Avenue and village programs like the Grow Your Home program, which facilitates fee waivers for homeowners looking to make additions to their homes, as potential ways to bring young families into Niles and keep them there.

Other projects include upgrades to Civic Center Plaza, funded through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and a pending move of the Niles Teen Center to the 8800 block of Milwaukee Avenue.

Alpogianis also used part of his speech to welcome a host of new businesses to the village, including the Poke Brothers, a Crumbl Cookies location and another Dunkin’ Donuts location.

“We are growing by leaps and bounds,” Alpogianis said, before informing the chamber members that Niles had seen $1.7 billion in retail sales in the 2021 fiscal year and was on track to surpass that figure this fiscal year.

He provided a status update on the $429 million renovations to Golf Mill Shopping Center, saying a “renaissance is underway.”

“The redevelopment will include a pedestrian promenade, water features, fountains, water mill, public art, outdoor public event space, attractive landscaping and streetscape amenities,” he said.

Earlier this year, Alpogianis told Pioneer Press that the next step in the project would be demolition, but that the village and owner Sterling Organization are still negotiating a redevelopment agreement.

Outside of economic development, Alpogianis also looked ahead to village efforts to become a more physically pleasant place to live through public art collaborations with photographer Sandro Miller.

“I believe three things bring people together in any community,” he said. “It’s food, art and music.”

Alpogianis concluded his remarks by stating that the village’s success depended on collaboration among its business community members, elected officials and village staff.

“We promise you more great things to come,” he said. “So how about a big round of applause for all of ourselves at this moment?”