More than 100 residents attended Elgin s first public input meeting this week for the North Grove Redevelopment Area. The area is made up of approximately 38 acres of mostly vacant land on three separate sites near the Fox River.
After more than two decades needed to purchase and clean up a 34-acre site along North Grove Avenue and the east bank of the Fox River, blank slate redevelopment ready to begin.
The amenities were created with the goal to ensure the park is utilized by all ages, especially those residing in Roseland, Morgan Park and West Pullman.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The city’s planning department is establishing its first design committee of outside experts to weigh in on major developments before they get built.
The Committee on Design, appointed by the Department of Planning and Development, will advise the city and developers about innovative, attractive and cost-effective elements, officials said. The 24 unpaid members include architects, artists, academics and real estate professionals.
The committee will be an extra stop for projects that already must get approval from department staff, the City Council and, in some cases, the Chicago Plan Commission. But officials said the committee will streamline reviews and approvals by clarifying designs early in the process.