During the summer of 2012, a panel of 11 land use and development professionals toured the Irving Park Road Corridor area and conducted an extensive review. Staff and study participants held one-on-one interviews and four public meetings to reach out to over 150 residents, businesses, and property owners for their feedback.
Recommendations from the Study
Final recommendations for the Irving Park Road Corridor Study (PDF) have been released, outlining ways to improve the area. Recommendations are centered on three goals:
Attract new businesses
Bring more people into the Village to shop
Support existing successful businesses
Specific steps for improvement include adding streetscape, reconfiguring parking lots, and facilitating bike and pedestrian access. The Panel also recommended vacant retail areas, such as the area around the old Menard’s, be permitted to redevelop into new uses such as recreational, community services, or senior housing. Staff is identifying specific next steps based upon these recommendations.
Study Grant
This study was made possible by a grant from CMAP (Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning) and performed by ULI Chicago (Urban Land Institute).
