ULI Chicago members help advance downtown development strategies across the Chicago Region, in partnership with Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)

As a part of a long-running partnership with CMAP within its Technical Assistance Program, ULI Chicago conducted Development Dialogues for the Villages of Montgomery, Berkeley, and Hillside, IL. Development Dialogues are half-day technical assistance sessions designed to bring ULI member expertise to communities, creating implementable strategies for new development on key opportunity sites.

Montgomery, IL

The Village of Montgomery is located southwest of Aurora, IL and has a population of 21,310. Downtown Montgomery provides fantastic access to the regional transportation network and recreational opportunities along the Fox River. The Village has been investing in public amenities, which include Montgomery Park, a large downtown greenspace and event location; the river-edge; prominent Village Hall; and infrastructure improvements. Village leadership envisions a central, vibrant downtown offering services and amenities to serve its residents. They seek to strengthen their identity and to position their downtown as a destination and central gathering place for the community and region. The focus of the Development Dialogue was to provide feedback and direction on the Village’s vision and strategy to reinvigorate its downtown and attract development to significant opportunity sites.

The panel commended the strong and proactive leadership of Mayor Brolley and the Montgomery community development staff for actively promoting and incentivizing downtown development opportunities. The panel recommended several key strategies to further the Village’s efforts:

• Promote the development of the key opportunity site at Mill and River Streets with village-initiated interim commercial uses, such as pop-ups in remodeled shipping containers. The Village should support predevelopment activities such as design/engineering for new development.
• Locate new buildings to hold the street edge along River Street, the downtown’s main thoroughfare.
• Continue to increase the volume of regional and community-based events to attract more people downtown, supported by new signage directing people downtown.
• Actively support existing and local businesses, particularly destination and food-related uses, by identifying suitable sites and facilitating building and site improvements.

“The ULI Chicago Development Dialogue made available to the Village through CMAP provided invaluable information and insight for our community. I was born and raised in Montgomery, and strengthening the downtown has been a goal of mine since I began serving the Village in 2013. The discussions provided critical feedback, new ideas, and established priorities, reenergizing past efforts, and catapulting our visions forward.

Montgomery staff was highly impressed with the level of professionalism and insight provided by the ULI panel. They left us concrete takeaways and action items to renew our focus in the downtown riverside area.”    – Mayor Matt Browley, Montgomery, IL

Montgomery, IL Development Dialogue Panel Members:

• Bob Burke, Managing Partner, UrbanStreet Group
• Tod Desmarais, FAIA, Founder and CEO, Point Development
• Eric Mason, Director of Development, Farpoint Development

Berkeley and Hillside, IL

The Villages of Berkeley and Hillside are located approximately 30 mins west of downtown Chicago, IL. They share a common border of Taft Avenue and are collaborating tactically to enhance the existing commercial corridor to meet the needs of their communities. They desire to create a retail destination complementary to the adjacent Prairie Path and to infuse the corridor with new housing, all of which adds to a more active street presence. Intersecting Taft Avenue, the Prairie Path is a 60-mile long, multi-use nature trail spanning Cook, DuPage, and Kane counties. The two Villages partnered to create the Prairie Path and Taft Avenue Corridor Plan, via the CMAP Technical Assistance Program, producing a shared vision and strategies to attract businesses to the small-scale, walkable commercial district. Berkeley and Hillside have been actively implementing new improvements, both physical and event-related to the Prairie Path.

The developer panel offered the following recommendations to build on the redevelopment strategies underway:

• Initiate a phased redevelopment strategy for key opportunities on Taft Ave for multiple, new mixed-use housing developments.
• Implement a coordinated streetscape and work together to expand physical improvements along the Prairie Path.
• Increase community events with a regional draw by enhancing branding and maximizing the use of the Prairie Path and under-utilized, publicly owned properties.
• Partner with private property owners to activate vacant store fronts with pop-up food and retail businesses, creating a path to brick-and-mortar opportunities.
• Pursue increased financing opportunities via partnerships with local small business lenders and by assessing the viability of a Tax Increment Financing District to support infrastructure and redevelopment opportunities.

“The ULI Chicago panel identified new, implementable strategies to propel us forward in achieving our vision for a vibrant Taft Avenue corridor. The panelists took the time to learn about our strengths and successes and understand our challenges and needs. Their recommendations, grounded in market realities, have helped prioritize our next steps to achieve our near- and long-term goals for the corridor.”  -Mayor Bob Lee, Village of Berkeley, IL

Berkeley and Hillside, IL Development Dialogue Panel Members:

• Christine Carlyle, Principal & Director of Planning, Solomon Cordwell Buenz
• Matt Fiascone, President, The Habitat Company
• Nate Wynsma, Vice President, Lexington Homes