Downtown plaza and east side developments in store for St. Charles in 2024

St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek said residents can look forward to a revitalized downtown plaza, new east side developments and improved walkways and bike paths in 2024.

Vitek said that in 2023 the city approved many new developments and improvements and in 2024 residents can expect to see real progress begin.

“The work has been done to make things happen. Now it’s a matter of finishing the projects,” Vitek said.

The First Street Plaza, which has been in the works since 2020, is set to be complete by Jan. 24. Vitek said after a year of construction work hindering outdoor dining and downtown shopping, the plaza will be ready for full use by residents and visitors in the spring.

Vitek said she expects the completed plaza to attract out-of-town commerce that the city has been missing during the pandemic and the past year of construction. She said it also will provide a great space that will improve community events and holiday celebrations in St. Charles.

Highly-anticipated new businesses such as Chick-fil-A, which is coming to the city’s east side, and Whole Foods, which is taking over the former Blue Goose Market, are expected to begin making progress in 2024.

“Movement will start to happen on a lot of those things that everybody has heard about and has been waiting for,” Vitek said. “The east side has seen a lot of new development and activity and is going to continue to see that in 2024.”

A new “piazza” style shopping and dining development at the corner of Route 64 and Kirk Road near the east side Jewel-Osco and the Charlestowne Mall is expected to begin making headway. Developers received council approval last fall and Vitek said that although it won’t be completed in 2024, she expects initial development to begin this year.

Also on the east side, Vitek said she is hoping the former Pheasant Run Resort will be completely demolished and removed by the end of 2024.

More than 1,000 units of residential development are in the works in St. Charles and many are expected to begin construction in 2024, including the Springs at St. Charles and Charlestowne Lakes. Several others are in various stages of development.

Residents who walk or commute by bicycle should have an easier time navigating through the city this year after the City Council established a plan to improve walking and bike paths. Vitek said residents will start to see improvements being made this year.

The city has been conducting a parking study and the results are expected to come before the City Council next month. Vitek said based on the study’s conclusions and recommendations the city is expected to begin making improvements this year.