Politics & Government
Metra Station Demands Focus in Rte. 30 Corridor Improvement Plan
Input gathered from residents and businesses pave the way toward the future face of the Route 30 Corridor in New Lenox.
The future vision for the look of Route 30 Corridor Improvement plan has the Metra Station in the top group of development opportunities. A draft of the plan was presented to the Village Board by planning consultant John Houseal of Houseal Lavigne Associates, of Chicago.
Along with a list of site-specific development and redevelopment opportunities included in the 37-page implementation draft plan, the Metra Station at Cedar Road and Route 30 is seen as among the "biggest redevelopment opportunities" the village has for a revamp of one of New Lenox's gateway entrances, he said.
"This redevelopment site consists of three parcels that would need to be assembled to provide the space needed for a transit-oriented development (TOD,)" according to Houseal. The future of the New Lenox train station, which in many communities in the Chicagoland region has become an attractive use of mixed-use commercial, restaurants and historically significant spots, is anticipated to adopt that same kind of charm in the future.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
To view the Route 30 Corridor Draft Plan, visit the project website.
Together with input from Robin Ellis, village community development director, Houseal created the vision for the future Metra Station. The dingy single-story building that sees thousands of commuters each week traveling to and from Chicago on the Rock Island line has the potential to become a three-story mixed-use building. With 11,750 square feet of retail and commercial uses on the ground floor and 16 residential units on the upper two floors, there is an opportunity to revitalize the property.
Find out what's happening in New Lenoxwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The current commercial and multi-family parking space requirements in the village's code are seen as "excessive," he said. To accommodate a "TOD-friendly" development, he suggests that commercial requirements be reduced from 5.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet to 4,000 square feet. As for multi-family parking regulations, he suggests reducing the requirement for three spaces per unit to two. "Using the existing code requirements, 118 spaces are required."However, a revamp of those regulations would demand only 85 parking spaces for multi-family parking.
The plan for the Metra Station also specifies parkway treatment:
- Filling in the sidewalk gaps
- Installing coordinated landscaping
- Maintaining consistent and appropriate buffers from parking lots
"These improvements will have an immediate and lasting effect on positively changing the look and feel of how Route 30 portrays the village," according to Houseal.
The Route 30 Corridor Improvement Plan has numerous other aspects, including a framework for multi-modal transportation along with suggested accommodations for the redevelopment on a case-by-case basis of long-standing and existing developments. A wish-list of desired commercial sites—fine dining, upscale grocery stores and gas stations—are among the list of targeted improvements.
Readers might like:
Route 30 Corridor Plan: What's Your Vision for New Lenox?
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