With the announcement of three more big commercial developments proposed for the booming Randall Road corridor, Algonquin officials are trying to deflect criticism that they are neglecting the village’s historic downtown.
At a recent workshop on revitalizing the village’s ailing Old Town district, officials said they will use tax revenue generated by commercial developments along Randall Road to improve the historic downtown area.
“This is the economic engine that will help fund ideas (to revitalize) the downtown,” said Community Development Director Jeff Mihelich.
Some residents in recent months have said the village is focusing too intently on the Randall Road corridor at a time when several downtown businesses are closing.
At the workshop, Village President Ted Spella announced three proposed projects: a 106,000-square-foot Big Kmart in the River Pointe Shopping Center, a 106,000-square-foot LifeTime Fitness center on Rolls Drive, and a 10,500-square-foot retail center behind Great Bank.
These and two other corridor developments that were recently approved by the village–a 215,000-square-foot Meijer store and a 125,000-square-foot Home Depot–will pump significant amounts of new tax money into town coffers, Spella said. The Meijer store alone is expected to generate about $500,000 in annual sales tax for the village.
The workshop was led by Chicago-based urban planning firm Trkla, Pettigrew, Allen & Payne (TPAP), hired by the village in April to devise a revitalization strategy for the downtown, which was a thriving riverfront resort area at the turn of the century. Attendees broke up into a half dozen groups to brainstorm about what the downtown ideally would be like in the year 2010.
Chief among participants’ suggestions was making the downtown more accessible to pedestrians, bicyclists and Fox River boaters. They said the village should purchase key properties near the riverfront and Illinois Highways 31 and 62 as they become available to allow for more public spaces.
Some suggested relocating a vacant building at 8 S. Main St., which the village owns, to create a wider, more visible entrance to Towne Park.
“A lot of people don’t even know (Towne Park) is there,” Trustee Robert Smith said.
Participants said there should be a pedestrian walkway linking Towne Park, Riverfront Park and the Prairie Trail bike path, as well as low-rise condominiums to increase the downtown’s population.
The need for additional parking also was stressed, with one group suggesting that Front Street, a dead-end off Illinois 31, be eliminated and replaced with a parking garage.
Many said the downtown’s core businesses should be small, specialty shops–unlike the homogeneous, “big box” chain retailers coming to Randall Road.
“We’re very fortunate to have a unique downtown,” Smith said. “We just need to find businesses that want to capitalize on that.”
But even with the funding from Randall Road development, TPAP officials said obstacles such as chronic traffic congestion at Illinois 31 and 62 must be overcome before the village’s vision for its downtown can materialize.
McHenry County plans to build a four-lane, western bypass around the downtown, but the project will take at least five years to complete. And while the bypass is expected to make the heart of downtown more pedestrian-friendly, the project will require the demolition of several historic structures and businesses.
Philip Hanegraaf, a principal with TPAP, said the input from the workshop will be incorporated into a draft vision statement by the end of the year. After getting additional public comment, the firm plans to present an “action plan” for the downtown next spring.
