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Downtown Redevelopment

June, 2003 Update

After several years of reviewing plans and project financials, in order to assure the most financially-feasible plan that represents the desires of the community and fulfills the goals of redeveloping the Downtown “triangle” with a functional and visually appealing design, the Village Board voted unanimously on May 12th to approve the Rezoning and Preliminary Planned Unit Development plans for the Downtown Redevelopment Project. This represents an approval of the concept plans for the project area, which includes a 62-unit condominium building north of Indian Creek on the South Village Green, two 7,000 square foot sit-down restaurants south of the creek on a new native-landscaped pond, and a 40,000 square foot two-story office/retail building on the northeast corner of Route 22 and Milwaukee Avenue. This plan will be supplemented by extensive landscaping throughout the development, including native prairie and creek bank restoration along Indian Creek, as well as a pedestrian bridge from the South Village Green to the new pond south of the creek.

At the May 12th meeting, the Village Board also unanimously approved Final Planned Unit Development plans for the 62-unit condominium building. This will allow the developer to develop construction plans and move toward a building permit for that building by late Summer or early Fall. The remainder of the project south of the creek requires further detail and conclusion on specific issues, prior to receiving its final approval. These issues involve the vehicular access point on Milwaukee Avenue and resolution on the status of the existing cell tower in the area. Staff and the Village Board are working diligently to resolve these issues, so that the remainder of the project can move forward later in the year.

The other remaining issue to be completed prior to full-scale development is review and approval of a Redevelopment Agreement between the Village and the developer. The Village Attorney is currently working to revise the existing agreement to better reflect conditions present in the project today, as opposed to those that were addressed in 2001, when the original agreement was approved. It is anticipated that this agreement, which details the responsibilities of each party and their financial commitment, will be approved in early Summer.

As Village residents, you have seen slow steps forward over the past few years, involving numerous design plans, demolition of deteriorating structures, discussions of what this project will cost the Village, and Public Hearings and meetings to seek your input. Many resident volunteers of the Village have been involved in this process, devoting countless hours of their time. This includes two Mayors, a number of Village Trustees, the Downtown Redevelopment Task Force, the former Plan Commission, and Architectural Review Board, not to mention those of you who came out to meetings and made your opinions known. This plan could not move forward as it now is, without that valuable assistance and those voices. Although this process has taken longer than we all might have anticipated, the fruits of that labor are upon us, as Lincolnshire prepares to build its Downtown.