Town Centre master plan includes amphitheater, farmers market area

WOODRIDGE – After gathering community feedback, the Village of Woodridge and Woodridge Park District are set to pitch a master plan for the redevelopment of the Town Centre.

Both entities will host a community workshop Thursday giving residents a look into the plan that officials say will turn the Town Centre into a campus-like, community focal point that would "increase the quality of life among residents" and the village's "attractiveness within the Chicago region."

Officials hired developer Houseal Lavigne and Associates to formulate the plan, and over the past year both the village and park district hosted a number of community meetings and open houses to collect input on what residents hoped to see in the Town Centre.

The meeting on Thursday will include, for the first time, cost estimates of the proposed redevelopment.

Houseal Lavigne has placed a preliminary pricetag of $8.5 million if the master plan and each of its proposed projects are executed. Funding mechanisms are expected to be discussed during the May 22 meeting.

Residents will have an opportunity to address the board during the meeting, according to village spokesman Jack Knight. Knight added that a timeline as to when the Woodridge Village Board and Woodridge Park District Board could bring the plan to a vote is still unknown.

The master plan was largely formed pulling features residents and village and park district staff recommended after viewing three preliminary concept plans during an open house in March, according to the village.

The Town Centre is located near Woodridge and Center drives and includes the following existing facilities: Village Hall, Woodridge Library, the police/public works facility, the park district's Community Center, the local U.S. Post Office, Jefferson Junior High School, Hawthorne Hill Woods, Memorial Park, Lake Carleton, Lake Harriet, and 44 acres of open space jointly owned by the village and park district.

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Key features/costs of proposed plan*

Hawthorne Hill Woods

• Nature play area for children ($60,000)

• Multi-purpose trails and interpretive sub-trails ($295,000)

• Certified Outdoor Adventure Mountain Bike Trail ($5,000)

• Town Centre gateway feature at 75th Street and Woodridge Drive ($70,000)

Open space (44 acres)

• Relocated Community Garden, with former space used for recreation ($75,000)

• Woodland/prairie restoration ($35,000)

• Pedestrian/scenic bridge ($250,000)

• Multi-purpose parking lot for farmers markets, Jubilee celebration ($1 million)

• Sled hill ($100,000)

• Pedestrian promenade ($500,000)

• Amphitheater ($125,000)

• Picnic grove and shelter ($150,000)

Lake Harriet and Lake Carleton

• Canoe/kayak launch on Lake Carleton ($75,000)

• Fishing pier and arbor for picnics, weddings on Lake Harriet ($200,000)

Civic Center

• Parking lot expansion ($600,00)

• Reconfigured mailbox drop-off ($5,000)

* Costs are estimates by Houseal Lavigne Associates

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Key elements of the Town Centre Master Plan

• Enhancing the overall aesthetics of the area through landscaping, wayfinding ans signage

• Providing new community spaces for activities such as festivals, outdoor theatre and community events

• Increasing educational interaction with nature through trails

• Protecting important natural assets and environmental feathers from overdevelopment

• Strengthening access to Lake Harriet and Lake Carleton through improvements such as a canoe launch, rock outcroppings, a pier and park shelter

• Encouraging healthy lifestyle through increased recreational offerings, such as bike trails, walking promenades and playgrounds

Source: Town Centre Master Plan

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IF YOU GO

WHAT: Workshop to present the Town Centre Master Plan

WHERE: Werch Board Room, Five Plaza Drive, Woodridge

WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday

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View it online

A copy of the draft plan that will be discussed May 22 has been posted online and can be viewed at shawurl.com/15xd.

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