By Josh Bootsma
LANSING, Ill. (July 3, 2022) – The Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce has moved its operations from its previous home at Roy Street and Ridge Road to a shared renovated space at 17551 Chicago Avenue.
The chamber moved in recent months and now shares the nondescript building near Bock Park with the Lan-Oak Park District.
“We moved because this is a bigger space, a nicer space, and with our lease ending, we didn’t want to renew in a space where we felt a little cramped,” said Shauna Small-Craib, Chamber Treasurer.
She also said the Lan-Oak Park District offered the space — which includes two offices, a bathroom, a shared hallway, and a conference room — to the Lansing Area Chamber for free. The chamber was paying rent for its old office on Roy Street.
A secondary advantage for the chamber, said Small-Craib, is one most businesses would balk at: lack of foot traffic.
“Overall, the Chamber isn’t a foot-traffic type of business really, but we had a lot of foot traffic, not from people who wanted to do business with the Chamber, but mostly people who just wanted to stop in and chit-chat and say hi,” she said. “We wanted to eliminate a lot of that wasted time, and now that we’re out here — out of the hustle and bustle of Ridge Road — we’re able to refocus on how the chamber can serve the business community.”
The new Lansing Area Chamber office is open from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on weekdays, and is located at 17551 Chicago Avenue in Lansing.