Planning Programs and Projects

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 new Village Center Zoning district (under Related Reports) was approved by the Village Board in August 2022.

The Plan was presented in March 2022 to the City Council. The final report and supporting documents can be found under "Related Reports". The City is pursuing funding for various roadwork, public plazas and gathering spaces as identified in the plan and later in 2022 was awarded design engineering funds for the 154th Street Improvement Project. The project will include pedestrian safety and ADA compliant sidewalk improvements by upgrading the pavement, sidewalk, and lighting conditions along 154th Street. The RTA will continue monitoring for plan implementation activities. 

The panel of development experts met in June 2021 and the report can be found under "Related Reports".

The University Park TOD Plan was completed and adopted by the Village Board in February 2023. The final report can be found under Related Reports.

The Village of University Park was awarded a follow up Community Planning project to build on the TOD Plan Update. The RTA is working with the Village on the University Park Special Financing District Study to evaluate funding mechanisms for the TOD site in University Park.

The Downtown Cary Strategic Plan was adopted by the Cary Village Board on June 15, 2021. The RTA will monitor for initial plan implementation. 

Work on the project began in May of 2021 and was completed in April of 2023. CDOT is now working to identify funding sources and a strategy to implement the plan recommendations. The RTA will continue to monitor for implementation activity. The plan can be found under Related Reports.

The plan was adopted by Crystal Lake City Council on September 7, 2021. The RTA will monitor for implementation activity.

In 2022 construction commenced to build a new multi-family development at the southwest corner of E. Crystal Lake Avenue and S. Main Street. The community will include 48 apartments and 51 townhouses just a short walk from the Crystal Lake Metra rail station.

In November 2024 the first 40 apartments in the Water's Edge mixed-use development in the City of Crystal Lake were completed, after which the additional components of the development will be constructed. At full build-out, the development will feature 260 housing units, 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces, and public open space. The project is will be the largest development project in the City, occupying 30 acres adjacent to the Three Oaks Recreation Area. Although this project is just outside of the study area for the Crystal Lake and Pingree Road Stations Strategic Action Plan, the project nonetheless supports the plan's goals to promote multi-modal transportation, create welcoming and unique destinations, maximize the potential of undeveloped and underutilized land, and provide a greater range of housing options for people at all life stages and backgrounds within proximity to the Crystal Lake and Pingree Road Metra stations. In addition, the project achieves one of the plan's objectives to "encourage developers to develop multi-family housing complexes with common space amenities that are attractive to young professionals."

Work in Washington Park was completed in 2022 and work in Logan Square was completed in 2023. The Economic Development Action Guide (under Related Reports) was developed for the residents of Washington Park to use as a strategy for advancing their goals for future development and redevelopment in the neighborhood. The final report for Logan Square is also found under Related Reports.

The Plan was completed and adopted by the Itasca Village Board in March 2022, and can be found under "Related Reports". 

In the spring of 2024 a developer was in permitting stages of a Village approved 5 story, 88 unit mixed-use residential building within the core of downtown Itasca, IL.  Situated on a 0.86 acre corner site just north of the Itasca Metra Rail Station, the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) will serve as a catalyst for redevelopment of Itasca’s historic downtown.  The building’s design blends a contemporary aesthetic while paying tribute to Itasca’s historic downtown through building materials and massing.  The U-shaped building consists of a residential Lobby and amenities, 116 indoor residential parking spaces, and approximately 4,600 s.f. of retail space at the ground floor.

In July 2024 The Village of Itasca was awarded RTA support for zoning code updates that will allow the types of development envisioned in the Downtown Plan. The Village's existing code needs modifications to modernize the code to better align with best practices and other Village initiatives. Zoning amendments will be centered on downtown Itasca and areas surrounding the Itasca Metra station, and will include such tasks as drafting tables for dimensional standards as well as uses, address parking ratios for mixed use developments, develop unified design guidelines for Downtown Itasca, as well as develop specific guidelines for the Itasca Historic District.