Planning Programs and Projects

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).

This study (completed in 2005) addressed a proposed station at Laraway Road along the Southwest Service expansion. This expansion project, which included 11 miles of new track, was completed in January 2006, including the Laraway Road station (opened October 9, 2006). As part of the 2013 RTA Community Planning Program of Projects, the RTA worked with ULI to convene a panel of development experts to provide guidance and advice to the Village as they try to attract development to the 240-acre vacant area near the Laraway Road Metra Station. This discussion took place on October 25, 2013 and the Summary Report can be found in Related Studies. 

On March 17, 2005, representatives from the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace, along with their consultants from Booz Allen Hamilton, made a presentation to the Illinois House Committee on Mass Transit regarding options for implementing a Universal Fare Card in the Chicago region. Due to the limited availability of funding for new capital and operating expenditures, a Universal Fare Card is not being implemented at this time.

The Village has seen major redevelopment and build-up of their downtown over the past 10-12 years with a mix of national chains and local businesses, along with condo and townhome development. 

In late 2010, Metra completed a project to upgrade and replace the platforms at the Stone Avenue Metra station and the Village renovated the interior and exterior of the historic Stone Avenue Station in partnership with Metra, BNSF Railway and the West Suburban Mass Transit District. This renovation enhances the station structure, outbound platform shelter and the grounds as an outdoor public gathering space. Additionally, the Village reconstructed the Brainard Avenue commuter parking lot with a permeable green paver integrated drainage system. 

In 2012, the RTA provided assistance to the Village through a collaborative effort with CMAP, ICC, BNSF, Metra and ATA to complete a pedestrian access improvement study at the Stone Avenue Station. The full Access Improvements report can be found below in the Related Studies section. 

In 2013 the RTA applied for CMAQ funding on behalf of the Village for these access improvements. CMAP approved the RTA's CMAQ submittal and the construction of these improvements will began in 2016. 

In August 2017 at 254 unit apartment building opened near the intersection of Ogden Avenue and LaGrange Road, a five minute walk to the LaGrange Road Metra station.]

The RTA is currently working with the Village of La Grange to update their Comprehensive and TOD Plans.

The Village revised their zoning ordinance in 2008 per a recommendation in their Station Area Plan and developed a Unified Development Ordinance, which allows them to provide optimal transitions between incompatible land uses, incorporate design controls, and focus on transit-supportive uses. 

The Front Street Lofts, an 82-unit condo loft development located in the TOD area along the I&M Canal, is completed and occupied. Additional residential and mixed use development has taken place along Talcott Ave., also in the study area. 

In January 2015 the Village held a Developer Discussion Panel coordinated through the RTA and ULI to solicit advice from development experts on ways to proactively attract infill development near the Metra Station along two Downtown corridors, Main Street and Canal street. The report can be found in Related Reports.

In 2009 the Village constructed a new Village Hall per a recommendation in the Plan and in 2014 the Village updated their zoning code to create mixed-use districts around the Metra station to allow, encourage and attract higher-density development.

In 2008, the Village acquired the 11-acre Wickes furniture site just north/northeast of the Metra station which was developed as the Wheeling Town Center featuring over 300 apartments and 100,000 square feet of retail. It is anchored by a dinner theater, and restaurants ranging from fast-casual to elegant dining. In 2019 the Town Center won the Cisco's Development of the Year Award.

A 288-unit luxury, multi-family development called Northgate Crossings, located at Dundee Road within walking distance of the Wheeling Metra station was completed in fall of 2016. This project was designed to appeal to young professionals, empty nesters and corporate transferees interested in a walkable, transit-served suburban location near dining and entertainment. 

Uptown 500 is a $90 million, transit-oriented, master-planned, mixed-use development was constructed on the northwest corner of Dundee Road and Northgate Parkway across the street from the Wheeling Town Center. Uptown 500, completed in 2020, features 321 luxury apartment units and 10,500 square feet of retail space within walking distance of the Wheeling Metra Station and the nearly 100-acre Heritage Park operated by the Wheeling Park District. 

The RTA has obtained a federal CMAQ grant to design and to implement prototypes of new and refined information products related to interagency travel and to develop design standards for systemwide application. Phase I of that project was completed in 2007, and Phase II was initiated in 2008.

Specific physical coordination improvements are being developed through the RTA's Community Planning and Sub-Regional Planning Programs and are being implemented through the RTA's Innovation, Coordination & Enhancement (ICE) Program.