Planning Programs and Projects

In 2010, the Village received an ITEP grant for $446,600 to help defray the cost of a realignment of Lincoln Avenue to mitigate traffic and safety issues at the at-grade crossing, a recommendation from the study. The Village is still searching for funding to complete this project. The Woodlands (320 condominiums and 78 townhomes) was built between 2002 and 2006.

In summer of 2017 the Village Board approved "Lexington Homes", a residential development on a vacant property in the TOD district, two blocks north of the Metra station. Located at Capulina and Ferris Avenues, the project consists of 36 townhomes, built on formerly vacant land that is partially owned by the Village.

In January 2020 the Village released an RFP seeking proposals for the redevelopment of two municipally-owned sites at 8500 & 8550 Lehigh Avenue, which included a total of approximately 1.5 acres of land area. These sites are located just south of the intersection of Lehigh and Lincoln Avenues and are directly across the street from the Morton Grove Metra Commuter Rail Station. These sites are within the Lehigh Ferris Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.

This study was completed in June 2017 and Pace staff has begun to determine which of the recommendations to consider first for implementation.

In 2019 the Village of Melrose Park acquired and incorporated into it's jurisdiction the former Maywood Race Track, as recommended in the plan. In April 2019, reports confirmed that the 42-acre site will be developed into a three-building, 623,000-square-foot industrial and retail project, that will be called the Chariot Logistics Center.

In June 2019 the Chicago Plan Commission approved the redevelopment of the former Sears site at Harlem Ave, as recommended by the plan. Development plans include a five-story complex with 161 residential units, a grocery store, health club, and 462 parking spaces. At nearby 7141 W. Wabansia Avenue, a new four-story development with 152 units and 177 parking spaces is also planned.

In 2021 the Village of Melrose Park was awarded $566,000 from Cook County as part of the 2021 Invest in Cook grant program awards. The funds will be used to make roadway improvements at the intersection of IL-64 (North Avenue) and George Street. Correcting the offset intersection will improve safety for motorists and other users while also improving traffic circulation along commercial properties. Construction will involve installation of new traffic signals, relocating a shopping center entrance drive, as well as modifying sidewalks, ADA ramps, and a bike path. The 2017 Pace North Avenue Corridor Plan highlighted this intersection as needing modifications to better serve Pace riders, which this project will accomplish. The City of Northlake was also awarded funding for right-of-way for roadway improvements to Railroad Avenue, a major trucking corridor within the City. This project will bring Railroad Avenue up to modern design standards for safety and efficiency and improve the movement of trucks in the area. Improvements include adding a southbound right turn lane to improve capacity at the intersection of IL 64 (North Avenue) and Railroad Avenue, upgrading pedestrian accommodations to current ADA standards, and providing new signalized pedestrian crossings. The new signalized pedestrian crossing will improve access to the Pace 309 route.

RTA staff will continue to monitor for implementation activity of this study.

The La Grange Forward Plan has continued to progress towards a draft plan. Draft recommendations have been presented to the Plan Commission and various boards and commissions in the Village. Public comments are currently being taken on the draft recommendations and a public open house will be held in May. More information and engagement opportunities can be found on the project website lagrangeforward.org.

Work on this project began in 2021 with an existing conditions analysis and a series of community engagement events and surveys.  After developing a set of recommendations and implementation steps, the project team presented the draft plan at the third public workshop in April 2022. The Elburn Village Board adopted the plan as an amendment to the Comprehensive Plan at their July 18 meeting after receiving a unanimous recommendation for adoption from the Planning Commission. The adopted plan is available under "Related Reports."

The Southwest Conference of Mayors hosted a Developers Summit on September 2013 to discuss the recommendations of the Harlem Avenue Corridor Plan with potential developers.

In late 2013 Pace received CMAQ funding for Pedestrian Infrastructure Improvements along and / or adjacent to Pace Routes along the Harlem Avenue Corridor. This project funds concrete pads and sidewalks, implementing recommendations from the Harlem Avenue Corridor study.

Pace advanced construction for the Toyota Park Transit Center with a ground breaking ceremony that took place on November 12, 2013. Meanwhile, new Bus on Shoulder (BoS) service began October 24, 2016 between the Pace Toyota Park Transit Center & Park-n-Ride in Bridgeview and the East Loop and North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Pace Express buses are allowed to ride on the shoulder along I-55 when traffic is congested.

Pace initiated the Tinley Park Call-n-Ride in August 2014. Pace continues to advance transit signal priority and designated route restructuring throughout the corridor. A new Pete's Fresh Market open edin Spring 2015 in Bridgeview, and a mixed-use residential and retail building was constructed in 2015 in Palos Heights. Additionally, the Village of Chicago Ridge has created a TIF District for the Yellow Freight site, which has significant frontage on Harlem Avenue; the Village of Tinley Park is pursuing development of a Master Plan for the Mental Health Center site, near 183rd and Harlem; and a Harlem Avenue Overlay District Rezoning Plan is in the process of being adopted by the Palos Heights City Council.

The Village of Worth, a corridor town, completed a "Planning Priorities Report" through the CMAP LTA Program as well as TOD Plan for the area surrounding the Worth Metra Station through the 2015 RTA Community Planning program.

The City of Palos Heights received Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funding, via the RTA's Access to Transit Improvement Program, for access to transit capital improvements, as recommended in the Harlem Avenue Corridor Plan. Installation of these improvements were completed in summer of 2016.

In September of 2020 demolition commenced of a long-vacant trucking terminal at 10301 S. Harlem Ave. in Chicago Ridge. The 75-acre property originally owned by Yellow Freight property lies within a 105-acre TIF zone stretching along Harlem, the largest tract of land available for development in the Village.

In 2021 the Village of Worth was awarded Invest in Cook funding for a 0.8-mile long new sidewalk and multi-use path north of the Cal-Sag Channel between Harlem Avenue and Metra’s SouthWest Service Station in Palos Heights. The project will help connect Pace bus routes, retail corridors, recreational facilities, and community destinations as well as tie the Cal-Sag Trail to commuter rail service, which were recommendations of the plan.

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.