Planning Programs and Projects

New TOD area zoning regulations were unanimously adopted by the Village Board on October 20, 2014 and the new regulations will be posted as soon as minor revisions are made.

This panel convened in February 2014 and a summary report of the discussion can be found below in the Study Documents. The RTA is monitoring progress and will offer assistance with implementation as needed.

The Downtown Projects Guide has been finalized and was adopted by the City Council on September 2014. The City of Highwood was selected by the RTA as part of the 2015 Community Planning Program to receive assistance updating their TOD area zoning regulations. This project began in May 2015 and the city is currently reviewing a draft of potential code revisions.

In 2015, the City of Highwood approved a redevelopment proposal for the former Hotel Moraine site to construct 103 units of senior housing with a grocery store on the ground level. The project is currently under construction.

In spring 2018 the City announced a new residential project that adds 14 townhomes on property between Webster and Clay Avenues, located roughly two blocks from the Highwood Metra station. Plan implementation has continued with the approval of two multi-family developments on currently vacant lots, located on Green Bay Road. The proposals passed the Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council in fall of 2016.

On September 20th 2017, the Planning and Zoning Commission approved a proposal for a mixed-use building with 52 apartments, 2,800 square feet of retail space and 56 parking spaces at 440 Green Bay Road. The City acquired this property in 2012 and demolished the former restaurant building on it. It was sold to a developer two years ago and TIF funds have been promised to help with development costs. The proposal will next go to the City Council for approval. In May 2018, the Webster Place Residential Project was approved. It consists of a 14-unit townhouse complex in Downtown Highwood and is under construction as of June 2018. In addition, a mixed-use development at 246 Green Bay Road consisting of 31 apartment units, 9000 sq. ft of commercial space, and 39 parking spaces was approved in September 2018 and went under construction in November 2018.

This panel convened in October 2013 and the Summary Report can be found below in the Study Documents. The Village is currently using the recommendations from this discussion to redevelop the focus area. The RTA is monitoring progress and will offer assistance with implementation as needed.

The TOD zoning code revisions are complete and waiting on adoption by the Northbrook Village Board. The Board has met several times between 2016 and 2020 to discuss the proposed form-based code and potential revisions that would address Trustees' feedback.

The Developer Discussion Panel took place on December 10, 2013 and the Summary Report can be found in the side panel under Related Documents. This discussion helped the Village finalize a 60-unit IHDA-funded rental development located along 157th street adjacent to the Oak Forest Metra Station. This project received preliminary approval from IHDA in 2014 and construction may begin in 2015.

In early 2015, the RTA applied for CMAQ funds on behalf of the City for pedestrian improvements and bike signage in the Metra station area. Chosen CMAQ projects were announced in October 2015 and the Oak Forest project was included.

In 2022 construction commenced to build a new mixed-use, multi-family development at 157th Street and Cicero Avenue. Located a brief walk from the Oak Forest Metra rail station and Cicero Avenue Pace bus line in Oak Forest, the community will include 75 apartments and 15 townhouses.

Based on the findings of this project, Pace implemented a services restructuring which was implemented in 2015/2016 in two phases. Five new routes were added: Route 540 Farnsworth Avenue, Route 559 Illinois Rt. 59, Route 722 Ogden Avenue, Southeast Aurora Call-n-Ride, and Naperville-Aurora Call-n-Ride. Major restructuring and/or replacement took place of seven existing routes: Route 524 West Aurora, Route 533 Northeast Aurora, Route 802 Aurora / Geneva, Route 521 East Circulator, Route 528 Aurora - Rush-Copley Medical Center, Route 529 Randall Road - 5th Street, and Route 532 Illinois Avenue. More information can be found by going to the Pace Fox Valley Initiative webpage: http://www.pacebus.com/sub/initiatives/fox_valley/fv_default.asp

This panel convened in June 2013 and a summary of this discussion can be found in the Study Documents below. The RTA is monitoring progress and will offer assistance with implementation as needed.

This panel convened in December 2013 and a summary of this discussion can be found in the Study Documents below. The RTA is monitoring progress and will offer assistance with implementation as needed.

The final Corridor Plan was completed in June of 2014. Meetings were held with some local governments to assist with implementation efforts. In early 2015, the RTA applied for CMAQ funds on behalf of the Village of Chicago Ridge for pedestrian safety improvements around the Metra station as a selected project in the Access to Transit Improvement Program. CMAQ funds were awarded to this project in the fall of 2015.

In 2017 the Village of Chicago Ridge applied to and was awarded Cook County for funding to complete bus stop infrastructure improvements along Ridgeland Avenue as well as to construct a multi-use path along Ridgeland as recommended in the plan. Wayfinding signage, lighting enhancements, ADA curb cuts and median improvements have been installed along the corridor from the Chicago Ridge Metra station to 105th Street.

The Village of Palos Heights continues to make pedestrian access improvements as recommended in the study including the construction of their section of the multi-use path between Route 83 and 127th Street in 2019.

In 2021 the Village of Oak Lawn was awarded Invest in Cook funding for a 10-foot-wide off-street multi-use trail between 87th Street and 95th Street, running along the east side of Ridgeland Avenue. The trail increases connectivity between parks, neighborhoods, and businesses, benefitting the local economy and promoting healthy alternative transportation options. The City of Palos Heights was also awarded funding for the installation of sidewalks on the northeast side of Route 83/College Road and Ridgeland Avenue. This project will fill a significant sidewalk gap and connect the 26- mile Cal-Sag Trail system to the 9.4-mile Tinley Creek Trail System located in the Cook County Forest Preserve. In addition, it will safely link to the Trinity College athletic fields and the Chicago Christian High School to the City’s pedestrian and trails system. Pedestrian signals will also be installed on the north and east leg of the crossings on Route 83/College Road and Ridgeland Avenue to increase safety. The sidewalk will connect to a multi-use path on Ridgeland Avenue. Both of these projects implement the Ridgeland Avenue Corridor Plan.