Mayfest 2023

Mayfest is a beloved community festival that has historically been held at the campus. In 2019, GROWTH welcomed Mayfest back to the campus and after a two year pause due to COVID, hosted the festival in 2022 and in 2023. In 2023, GROWTH provided additional support to the festival by sponsoring the food tent. ​For Mayfest information, please visit the festival's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/mayfestfestival. 

Mayfest 2022

Photo courtesy: Bob Watson, Carroll County Mirror-Democrat. Pictured from left to right: Beth Payne, Vice President for GROWTH, Camlin Payne (Beth’s newborn baby boy in the stroller), Charlotte Flickinger, Vice President for GROWTH, Jane Schneider, Board Chair for GROWTH, Frank Perez, Loan Officer for Bridge Investment Community Development Corporation, Austin Stadelman, Constituent Advocate for Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17), Carey Jorgensen, Director of Property Management for Home Base Property Management, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of GROWTH), Carl Bates, Mayor for Mt. Carroll, Cindy Berg, Chief Financial Officer for GROWTH, Andrew Fisher, Construction Director for Growth General Contracting, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of GROWTH), Norm Wallgren, Grounds Maintenance for Shimer Square/ GROWTH, Brian Hollenback, President/CEO for GROWTH, Jim Baranski, Architect at Baranski Hammer Moretta & Sheehy Architect & Planners, James Jones, Housing Manager for GROWTH, and Beth Baranski, Baranski Hammer Moretta & Sheehy Architect & Planners

Commencement Celebration
​May 28, 2022

GROWTH invited the entire community to help celebrate the kick off of Shimer Square’s first redevelopment phase at Mayfest on May 28th. Mayor Carl Bates introduced Brian Hollenback, President/CEO of GROWTH where Brian updated the community on the redevelopment, announcing the official kick off for construction will begin fall 2022.  

“This celebration acknowledges a culmination of many individuals’ tireless efforts over the last 3 years. Shimer Square’s development offers a fitting example of what a true community-based developer can do with local support,” says Mr. Hollenback. “This first phase of Shimer Square’s redevelopment will re-energize the heart of this beloved campus. We appreciate the community’s continued support and are truly privileged to bring this historic campus back to life, one phase at a time.” 
“Today we commemorate the next great step in reconnecting Shimer Square to the heart of our community. Our beloved campus will now see investment and opportunities that will bring in new residents and businesses into our community. I have fully supported GROWTH and their efforts on this campus and am extremely excited to see the redevelopment plan being realized,” commented Mayor Carl Bates. 

Below are the videos announcing the effort:

One of the first accomplishments made by GROWTH was bringing back a beloved community festival, Mayfest. Mayfest is an annual tradition which has taken place at Shimer Square for more than 40 years. Less than one month from taking title to the property, Mayfest organizers announced that the community’s long-running festival would return to the campus on Memorial Day Weekend. It was at Mayfest where the development’s new name was determined, which was left up to chance after a tie was declared between renaming the campus Shimer Square or Shimer Woods. Mount Carroll Mayor Carl Bates showed GROWTH staff the result of the coin toss held, confirming the campus and buildings will now be officially known as Shimer Square.