Planning Programs and Projects

The new TOD parking regulations took effect April 1, 2014. For more information please click here.

In September the Village announced that they will be selling 611 Green Bay Road to a developer for a 6-story mixed-use project that will break ground in mid or late 2015. For the latest information on this project please click here.

This panel convened in July 2012 to discuss potential redevelopment opportunities on City-owned land across from the Metra station. A summary of this discussion can be found below under Study Documents below. The RTA is monitoring progress and will offer assistance with implementation as needed.

A new zoning district called the Uptown Transit-Oriented District was created and formally adopted into the City Zoning Ordinance on June 14, 2012. The new regulations can be found here. Additionally the City participated in a ULI Developer Discussion Panel focused on the 119th Street Station area. A summary of this discussion can be found on the Blue Island Developer Discussion Panel RTAMS page.

In June 2015 a boutique hotel opened in Homewood across from the Metra station. This 18-room hotel also consists of a restaurant/bar and the owners are hopeful that the proximity to Metra will attract commuters to visit and stay in the area. For more information please visit "http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/news/ct-sta-homewood-hotel-st-0612-20150611-story.html".

In 2013 the SSMMA received assistance from the RTA (with support from ULI) to solicit guidance, advice and input from the development community on ways to attract TOD investment in the Oak Forest TOD area. This discussion took place on December 10, 2013 and a Summary Report of this discussion can be found below under "Related Studies".

In 2015, Oak Forest received CMAQ program funding for pedestrian improvements in the Oak Forest station area via the RTA's Access to Transit Program. This project will improve multi-modal access to the station, as well as to Pace Route 383.

In 2016 SSMMA provided additional funding to Homewood and Oak Forest to advance additional implementation efforts. Oak Forest will use the funds to complete a pro forma analysis and conceptual design review for two mixed-use, multi-family sites adjacent to the Rock Island Metra station. Homewood will use the funds to complete architectural, engineering, and environmental work for 28 proposed residential units, as well as a Science Center, on a currently vacant site near the Homewood Metra station.

In 2018 Homewood began a marketing campaign to promote the affordability and convenience of living in Homewood. Advertisements were targeted to various Chicago neighborhoods.

The City of Oak Forest continues to focus its economic development efforts towards quality placemaking, transit-oriented development around their Metra station by strategically acquiring dormant properties. In 2019 numerous projects were underway with the largest being Cook County releasing an RFP to begin redevelopment plans for the 129-acre Oak Forest Health Center.

The Village's TOD plan continues to encourage development adjacent to the Hanover Park Metra station. A 126 unit townhome development was completed in 2014 and is located approximately 1/4 mile north and within convenient walking distances of the Metra station and connecting Pace bus services (route 554).

Through the RTA Community Planning Program, the Village participated in a RTA/ULI Developer Discussion Panel to solicit guidance and advice from the development community on ways to attract investment in the TOD area. This panel convened in February 2014 and a summary report of the discussion can be found below in the Study Documents.

The Village convened their transit task force in December 2014 to pursue transit service implementation activities in conjunction with the Pace/ Illinois Tollway I-90 Transit Market Expansion project. In February 2014, the State of Illinois announced a $68 Million funding plan for a full interchange at Barrington Road and the I-90 Jane Addams Memorial Tollway. This will allow Pace to offer express bus service to and from Hoffman Estates as the interchange project includes the creation of a Barrington Road Transit Center. Pace express services (Routes 607 and 605) will use the Tollway shoulder to provide congestion free bus travel. Pace is building a new Park-n-Ride / Kiss-n-Ride to support the new express bus stops on I-90 just east of Barrington Road. To link the transit stops with the parking and drop-off areas, pedestrian access under the ramps on the east side of the interchange were completed with the interchange work. The project also includes a new pedestrian bridge over I-90 to link the express bus stops on the north and south sides of I-90.The Barrington Road Transit Center is expected to open in late 2017 to match the roll-out of expanded express bus service on I-90.

The resulting increase in express bus service to the area will provide the ridership increase that is needed to implement Pace Call-n-Ride local service. In spring 2015, Pace, in conjunction with another RTA Community Planning project, began the planning process for a Barrington Road / I-90 area Call-n-Ride service.

The Village of Manhattan unanimously approved the Downtown Zoning District in June 2012.

This project is complete and implementation activities are underway. Pace has implemented the fixed route service recommendations. These recommendations include: 1. A restructure of Route 806 to service Route 31 and the heavily utilized activity generators such as big box retail stores, a senior center, and a social service center serving families. 2. A restructure of Route 807 to discontinue the loop around Wonder Lake (resulting in a 20 minute travel time reduction) and simplify routing in downtown McHenry. And, 3. A restructure of Route 808 to discontinue deviations.

These resulting improvements have allowed ridership to remain steady, while providing cost savings to Pace. Ridership on the County¿s MC Ride service continues to grow in both service area (added Village of Lakewood and Nunda Township) and ridership (reaching 90,000 trips). Additionally, Pace is investigating a fixed bus route on the north portion on Randall Road, as recommended in the plan.