$3 million goes to 27 communities for Illinois Tomorrow smart growth   

[JAN. 22, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Timothy W. Martin announced Thursday the award of $2,833,500 in Illinois Tomorrow Corridor Planning Grants to 27 communities throughout the state. Illinois Tomorrow Corridor Planning Grants are designed to promote planning at the local level for future needs.

"This is an economic development tool that will assist counties and municipalities throughout Illinois as they plan for future growth," Martin said. "It gives them the opportunity to assess their needs and put together a framework that integrates land development, transportation and infrastructure needs."

The Illinois Tomorrow grant program assists communities throughout Illinois in developing plans that will protect and improve their quality of life. It encourages partnerships between private and public groups to work together for the long-range interests of people who live in the areas affected by future growth.

Communities participating in the Illinois Tomorrow Corridor Planning program work with state government to ensure that the programs that affect growth are put into place effectively and to look at new solutions to problems they may face. These problems can include traffic congestion, loss of open space and farmland, decreased environmental quality, urban infrastructure needs, and fragmented local planning.

"Economic growth brings many changes to the areas where it occurs," Martin said. "By planning ahead for that growth, we can minimize the impacts to our quality of life and even improve our quality of life as we strive make our hometowns better."

Projects that are receiving the grants include:

Northeast Illinois

Village of Palos Park -- Village Center and McCarthy Road Corridor Transit-Oriented Economic Development Plan, $68,000 -- The study will provide detailed recommendations and strategies to guide the village's efforts to create a mixed-use area consisting of the Metra station and nearby underutilized properties.

City of Chicago -- Chicago Railroad Economic Opportunities Plan, $300,000 -- This study will look at ways for the city of Chicago to take advantage of the economic opportunities provided by Chicago's railroad system.

Village of Antioch -- Antioch Downtown and Route 83 Corridor Plan, $100,000 -- This study will update planning documents produced in the early 1990s and will consider transportation, land use, redevelopment, the downtown, Metra train depot and commercial area, Antioch's historic neighborhood, and manufacturing districts. Through this plan the village will preserve historic areas while keeping them viable through carefully developed village code and designating certain properties historic.

City of Wood Dale -- Wood Dale Town Center and Irving Park Corridor Improvement Plan, $70,000 -- This study will outline a plan to redevelop the corridor around Wood Dale's Metra station by using transit-oriented development strategies to bring a reduction in traffic congestion, improve pedestrian safety, encourage economic development and enhance the city's image.

Village of Villa Park -- Using Planning and Development Requirements to Encourage Affordable Housing Near Employment and Transportation, $20,000 -- This project will produce a handbook of examples and options for municipalities that wish to create affordable housing near employment and transportation.

City of Batavia -- Wilson Street Corridor Planning Study, $130,000 -- This study will develop permanent corridor management recommendations for the Wilson Street bridge and the roadway itself, which is the downtown corridor.

Village of Westchester -- Comprehensive Business Development Plan, $100,000 -- This study will produce a comprehensive plan for the commercial corridors along Cermak, Mannheim and Roosevelt roads and the surrounding residential areas.

Village of Bellwood -- Mannheim Road Downtown Corridor Redevelopment Plan, $119,500 -- This study will create a downtown revitalization plan integrating rail and bus service with mixed-use developments to increase transportation options, improve walkability and enhance access to transit.

Village of Frankfort -- Laraway Road Corridor Plan, $125,000 -- This study is a combined effort between Frankfort, New Lenox and Will County to produce an evaluation of the current and future needs of the roadway, based upon current and proposed land use along the route.

Village of Homewood -- Homewood Downtown Redevelopment Plan, $50,000 -- This plan will identify sites for redevelopment and preferred designs in the central business district that will allow staff to direct developers while following a coordinated plan that will include transit-oriented design, open space and mixed-use developments.

Village of Burlington -- Main Street and Plank Road Growth Corridors Study, $50,000 -- This study will produce land-use maps, a map of right of way to be acquired, analysis of traffic and parking that will be created by anticipated development, recommendations to improve traffic and pedestrian circulation, and corridor plans for streetscape, bike path and open space.

Village of Villa Park -- DuPage Transit-Oriented Development Survey, $20,000 -- This survey will produce a best-practices document, which will be available to other municipalities, by reviewing and analyzing previous transit-oriented development activities.

Village of Sugar Grove -- Town Center at Illinois 47 and Illinois 56, $97,000 -- This plan will redirect growth and development from the outer areas of the village to the geographic center, addressing architecture, landscape design, market opportunities, movement within the area, the mix of land use, provision of open space and connections to surrounding uses and activities.

City of Yorkville -- Integrated Transportation Plan -- Yorkville and the Fox River Watershed, $102,000 -- This plan will guide the city of Yorkville in planning their future as they experience high levels of growth, by considering community transportation, effects on economic opportunities, natural resource protection and public access.

City of Naperville -- Downtown Naperville Transit-Oriented, Mixed-Use Development Corridor Study, $67,000 -- This study will plan for the redevelopment of the downtown train station corridor by determining feasible future land uses, identifying conditions necessary for implementation of the plan and identifying potential incentives the city could offer the development community.

Village of Round Lake Park -- Illinois Route 134 Improvements -- This plan will look at ways to create mixed-use development and revitalize the downtown business district along Illinois Route 134.

Town of Cicero -- Cermak Road Business District Redevelopment Plan, $85,000 -- This plan will develop recommendations to revitalize Cermak Road, which runs the length of Cicero and is the primary shopping corridor in town.

Village of Fox River Grove -- Downtown Residential and Retail Marketing Plan, $20,000 -- This plan will identify and provide a strategy to secure residential and retail tenants for the downtown and Metra station area.

Village of Downers Grove -- Integrated Corridor Management Planning and Implementation, $150,000 -- This plan will create a strategy for redeveloping the Ogden Avenue corridor, encouraging the location of desirable businesses and customers to frequent these businesses.

Downstate projects

Madison County Board -- Illinois 255 Corridor Transportation and Growth Management Plan, $150,000 -- This project will determine the best land use to promote balanced growth and provide economic stimulus in the new interstate corridor, while preserving open space and minimizing infrastructure costs to taxpayers.

City of Belleville -- West Main Street Corridor Study, $25,000 -- This study will create a set of common principles for development that will unify the 22-block corridor with common design elements.

City of Venice -- "North Star" Corridor Economic Alliance Project -- Phase 2, Applied Economic Recovery, $220,000 -- This project will continue efforts funded under Phase 1 to work with the communities of Venice, Brooklyn and Eagle Park Acres. Roadway construction projects in the area will have effects on the partnering communities; the goal of the study is to create the most positive effects from the projects.

Sangamon County -- Multimodal Transportation Terminal, $70,000 -- This study will consider combining the terminals for city buses, Amtrak service, Greyhound intercity buses, para-transit vehicles, airport shuttles, taxis, tour buses and rental cars.

Village of Downs -- County Highways 29 and 36 Metro Highway Integration Study, $60,000 -- This study will look at connecting Interstate 74 and the village with county highways 29 and 36 and ultimately Interstate 55, providing residents with better access to I-74, enhancing the entire village transportation system.

City of Decatur -- Urban Corridors Revitalization Strategy Implementation Plan, $60,000 -- This study is an extension of two previous studies, one of which is complete and the other is nearly finished. Both studies cover a large area and have many recommendations. In order to receive the greatest benefit from public investment, this study will develop a timeline for implementation based upon determining priority locations, projecting and determining available funds, and the existing capital improvements budget.

City of Champaign -- Staley and Rising Corridor Definition Study, $200,000 -- This study will look at how major transportation corridors affect development and land-use policies on the city's west side and how the relationship between future land uses and the existing transportation network can be optimized.

Tazewell County -- Tri-County Supply Chain Logistics and Transportation Indicator Study, $250,000 -- This study will develop a long-range comprehensive plan for the Heart of Illinois Regional Port District.

[Illinois Department of Transportation news release]