Politics & Government

First Look: Downtown Skokie's $8.9 Million Blueprint

After approving an $8.9 million bid to renovate the downtown area, the Village of Skokie was kind enough to provide the community with these easy-to-read blueprints of the downtown construction project/renovation.

Editor's note: To get the most optimized view of the downtown renovations, hit the "full screen" button just above the image, or to the right of the "Scribd" logo. Hit the left and right arrow keys to scroll through the pictures. 

For more than 50 years, Skokie has made a vareity of efforts to revitalize its downtown. While the village has had some success, the $8.9 million bid that was approved on March 18, might move the project forward to unprecedented levels.  

While anyone can view the construction blueprints at village hall, you'd have to be an architect to have the slightest clue of what you're looking at (see second image above). Fortunately, the village has provided this reader-friendly version of the blueprint to the community.

Find out what's happening in Skokiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The renovation will be funded through Skokie's TIF district, which was established in the downtown area in 1990 and extended in 2005 for another eight years. If the village doesn't use the TIF funds by the end of 2013, they will then expire, making them worthless.

To learn more about TIFs and how they operate, click here (see final item on page).

Find out what's happening in Skokiewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Among the many changes are slightly wider sidewalks, which will soon be curbed down and flattened to make for a more pedestrian-friendly area, the village said. There will also be pavement resurfacing and parking improvements. And there will be other project residents can't see, such as water improvements, and the absence of commercial trucks, among other things.

Just to get an idea of how much planning went into this, Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie President (IMODS) and Village Inn Pizzeria owner Randy Miles said he's been meeting with village officials for two hours a day, every Tuesday, for a week. He described the process as "grueling" with a chuckle.

"I have a lot of confidence with the village, the businesses and this project," Miles said. "Although the project will be painful, it will be less painful than any other construction project in the village's history."

Unique about this large-scale initiative is the quick turnaround the village has goaled for itself.

What's the gist of the strategy? 

Seal off a section of downtown Skokie, work at an intensive rate and complete the area before moving on to the next project.

"There will be four sequential phases," said Village Manager Al Rigoni during a village board meeting on March 18. "This will reduce business and traffic interruption."

While the project might have already caused some motorists delays, it should be complete by the end of fall, according to the village. Construction began about three weeks ago.

Businesses customize sidewalks, outdoor furniture and other notables -

While not part of the $8.9 million bid, store owners will work with village officials to pick outdoor furniture and plant life, among other things. By allowing downtown business owners to pick out certain aspects of furnishings, this will make for a unique distinction between various parts of the downtown area, village officials said. 

It should be noted, however, that how the above will be paid for has yet to be determined among leaders.  

Meanwhile, some recently-opened downtown stores have closed shop, or are looking to sell (more on that later). At the same time, the village has attracted several businesses to help anchor the downtown area; just walk near Skokie Boulevard and Oakton Street - or just off the CTA Oakton Station - around lunch time and it's interesting to see downtown Skokie turn into a bustling destination. 

Still, there are many vacant storefronts in the area. Village officials have said they're hoping this renovation will bring new business to the downtown area.

Other notables? 

If you haven't noticed, the speed limit near the heart of downtown on Oakton Street is 25 mph, reduced from 35 mph.

Moreover, recently reelected Village Trustee Randy Roberts said ultimately, there will be no commercial trucks travelling down Oakton Street.

“We’re trying to create an atmosphere that’s pedestrian friendly,” Roberts said in a Jan. 31 interview. “We’re rerouting trucks – there won’t be trucks going down Oakton Street.”

Roberts also added there will never be "big box and chain stores in downtown Skokie," but added that "we've already started creating a very rich and vibrant community [and] ethnic downtown."

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What do you think? 

Will this $8.9 million project be the answer to revitalizing downtown Skokie? Will it attract more businesses, and, if so, what stores would you like to see in the downtown area? 

Please let us know what you think by posing a comment below. 

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