Residents, property owners and other stakeholders invited to provide input for the Ravinia Business District Streetscape Improvement Project
The City of Highland Park is hosting a Public Workshop for the Ravinia Business District (RBD) Streetscape Improvement Project on Wednesday, June 6 from 6 PM – 7:30 PM at the Highland Park Public Library to obtain public input as the City prepares the RBD Streetscape Plan to guide future capital improvements in the RBD. For those individuals who can't make the Public Workshop, City representatives will be set up to collect feedback regarding the Streetscape Plan at the Ravinia Farmers Market (Wednesday, June 13 7AM – 1PM Dean Avenue at Jens Jensen Park) and Food Truck Thursday (Thursday, June 14 4:30PM – Dusk Dean Avenue and Jens Jensen Park).
The City is has assembled a team of consultants and City staff to develop engineering and streetscape design documents for the RBD, located on Roger Williams Avenue between Green Bay Road and St. Johns Avenue. The project will further the concepts presented in the 2012 Streetscape Design & Identity Plan and findings from the Strand Associates’ 2012 Utility Adequacy Study, and includes the next phase of design work that will identify specific installation locations and provide detailed cost estimates for a final streetscape plan for the District. The project also includes the installation of new lighting within the RBD within the next year.
The goals of the project are to:
- Upgrade the Roger Williams Avenue corridor to leverage additional private investment in the district and elevate the RBD into a vibrant, modern mixed-use neighborhood;
- Stimulate additional reinvestment and growth in the area;
- Enhance the quality-of-life for Highland Park residents;
- Further establish the district as a destination for pedestrians and cyclists; and
- Provide streetscape infrastructure that makes the RBD connected and welcoming.
The RBD Streetscape Improvement Project is being funded through a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District, which was established in the RBD in 2005. The primary goal of the RBD TIF District is to ensure the RBD continues to serve as a viable neighborhood retail district, while maintaining its historic character. Since its inception, TIF funds have been used to design and construct new crosswalks in the district, as well as new gateway and wayfinding signs that have helped to brand and identify the RBD.
For more information, please contact Hayley Garard at hgarard@cityhpil.com or 847.926.1853.