Planning Programs and Projects

The final report was completed in November of 2018 has been shared with Pace and members of the steering committee. Rezoning work is talking place in 2021 and 2022 along the sections of Harlem Ave within Riverside and Berwyn, as recommended in the plan.

This study was completed in September 2002. In 2009 the RTA funded an update to this study; please visit https://rtams.org/projects/planning/2745 for more information.

The study was completed in October, 2002 however, the Village received funding in 2016 from SSMMA to complete and update of the TOD Plan to take into account changes in market conditions as well as availability of affordable housing. In 2012, the Village was part of a Homes for a Changing Region report that explored regional and state strategies to address imbalances in northeastern Illinois' housing stock. Also involved were the Villages of Lansing, Olympia Fields and Park Forest with the RTA providing support as needed. This report recommends that Hazel Crest focus on rehabilitating existing housing stock and prioritize infill development around the Metra station area and along key corridors by revising zoning regulations to allow for higher densities. Click here for more information. 

In 2020 Metra completed a $3.5 million renovation of the Hazel Crest Metra station. The Village is working to ensure the new station will continue to be a catalyst for new development and investment.

The City is taking steps to identify the best timing to start implementing the additional modes recommended in the plan and hopes to begin implementation as soon as possible. The RTA will continue to monitor any implementation activity. A final report will be posted to this page as soon as it is available.

This project was completed in May 2005. In late November 2011, it was announced that the West Cook County Housing Collaborative received a nearly $3 million grant for its transit-oriented development strategy to update comprehensive plans and to create a sustainable transit-oriented development fund for the communities of Bellwood, Berwyn, Forest Park, Maywood and Oak Park. The communities are completed Comprehensive Plans that include recommendations for priority redevelopment parcels in each community's TOD area. 

Many development projects have been completed in the Village's TOD areas. Construction was completed on a 21-story mixed-use building at Lake Street and Forest Avenue, called Vantage Oak Park, in summer of 2016 with the first units occupied in July. The development includes 270 rental apartments, 25,000SF of ground-level retail and an integrated parking garage with 288 residential spaces and 300 public spaces. Another mixed-use residential, retail and parking project, called Oak Park Station, opened in late 2017 on the Village-owned Westgate site between Lake Street and North Boulevard just east of Harlem Avenue. Oak Park Station features a 20-story tower and five-story building that include 270 rental apartments, 28,000 square feet of retail and a five-story parking garage with 428 spaces for residential, retail, and public use. Additionally, a new transit-oriented development on the southeast corner of South Boulevard and Harlem Avenue was completed in 2019. The building, known as Eleven 33, is a mixed-use structure consisting of approximately 263 rental apartments, 10,000 square feet of retail and a 400 space parking garage. These new developments encourage increased ridership on all available transit services in the downtown area by adding a significant number of residential units within walking distance of CTA, Metra and Pace service. 

The Village is also planning an extension of the Marion Street streetscape improvements west on South Boulevard to Harlem Avenue to enhance pedestrian and bicycle mobility and access to surrounding transit service. These improvements would include wider sidewalks, shorter intersection crosswalk distances improved lighting and public seating. The project is partially funded through the Transportation, Community and System Preservation Program (TCSP).

The panel of development experts met in June 2021 for the 1/2 day workshop with the Village. The report of recommendations was published in September 2021 and is available under "Related Reports".