W E D N E S D A Y
August 20, 2025 Vol. 46, No. 8
1980 - 2025
$2.00 @wednesdayjournalinc
J URNAL WJ45
@wednesdayjournal
@oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
Art and mental health Page 9
Barnes & Noble landlord would get up to $2M tax incentive Village would rebate 50% of local sales tax to landlord. Deal not yet finalized By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN
Dr. Ushma Shah
perintendents for the 2025- 26 school year, beginning Sept. 15. The duo also served in the same in-
Oak Park’s village government is ironing out a deal that would provide a sales tax rebate to the landlord of the long vacant former department store that will become a new Barnes & Noble location. The village board was set to vote on a sales tax incentive package at its Aug. 5 meeting that would’ve seen the village rebate 50% of the local sales tax revenue it received from sales at the Barnes & Noble location back to the building owner. The measure was tabled from that meeting’s agenda, as the building owner requested to renegotiate elements of the deal, according to John Melaniphy, Oak Park’s assistant manager for economic development. Melaniphy said that none of the major figures in the deal will change before the item comes back before the board. The village wants its deal with the landlord solidified well before the landlord is set to turn over the
See SHAH RESIGNS on page 19
See BARNES & NOBLE on page 18
Shah resigns, D97 hires pair of interim superintendents Resignation unexplained. Powell, Wernet back again as interims By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter
Without comment on the reasons for Supt. Ushma Shah’s unexpected
Staff Reporter
FILE
resignation last week, the school board at Oak Park’s District 97 elementary schools voted Monday evening to appoint Dr. Griff Powell and Dr. Patricia Wernet as co-interim su-
Individuals, Couples, Families, Children, Teens Rolfing, Massage, Yoga, Meditation, and more
GardenHealthGroup.com 708 866 6766
Mental Health and Physical Wellbeing for All Ages
BCBS, Aetna, Medicare providers