Planning Programs and Projects

The Plan was completed and adopted by the Itasca Village Board in March 2022, and can be found under "Related Reports". 

In 2025 a developer broke ground on a 87 unit mixed-use residential building within the core of downtown Itasca, IL. Situated on a 0.86 acre corner site adjacent to the Itasca Metra Rail Station, the project serves as a catalyst for redevelopment of Itasca’s historic downtown. The building’s design blends a contemporary aesthetic while paying tribute to Itasca’s historic downtown through building materials and massing. The U-shaped building consists of a residential Lobby and amenities, 116 indoor residential parking spaces, and approximately 4,600 s.f. of retail space at the ground floor.

In July 2024 The Village of Itasca was awarded RTA support for zoning code updates that will allow the types of development envisioned in the Downtown Plan. The Village's existing code needs modifications to modernize the code to better align with best practices and other Village initiatives. Zoning amendments will be centered on downtown Itasca and areas surrounding the Itasca Metra station, and will include such tasks as drafting tables for dimensional standards as well as uses, address parking ratios for mixed use developments, develop unified design guidelines for Downtown Itasca, as well as develop specific guidelines for the Itasca Historic District. 

Work on this project began in the fall of 2020 and was completed in the fall of 2021 with the delivery of Station Summaries and Deep Dive Reports for all nine stations. 

Preferred service concepts and station concepts were documented in a report pushlished December 2021. The final report can be found under Related Studies. The RTA will monitor for implementation of the report recommendations.

The report was completed in the summer of 2022 and can be found under "Related Reports." To advance the recommendation for improving bicycle facilities, the Village of Forest Park was awarded funding from Cook County to conduct preliminary engineering for the 26th Street Multi-Use Path through the County's 2022 Invest in Cook program awards. Completion of this multi-use path along Forest Boulevard, Norwood Boulevard, and 26th Street would allow Park Forest residents and visitors to access downtown Park Forest without a car and establish a connection to the Thorn Creek Trail. Similarly, the Village of Matteson has received construction funds for improvements to the Village portion of the Preservation Path, which will enhance connections to transit services along Lincoln Highway and to the Old Plank Trail.

Zoning Code and Sign Code amendments as well as corresponding Zoning Map updates were adopted by the Village Board in January 2023. 

The Village Board adopted the Downtown TOD Overlay chapter into the Village Zoning Code at their November 19, 2019 meeting.

Construction began in summer of 2018 and is now complete. Improvements include a more accessible and pedestrian friendly Metra and Pace service area for their users, potentially leading to an increase in ridership. 2018 weekday boardings increased 16% over 2016 according to Metra Boarding and Alighting Counts. Additionally, Beautification of the existing Railroad Avenue from York Road to Center Street has enhanced the pedestrian friendly nature of the Bensenville downtown area.

The panel was held in August 2018 with members of the Village of Brookfield, ULI Chicago and the RTA in attendance. The Village continues to experience incremental growth near the Brookfield station in the form of new apartment development.

A summary report can be found to the right in Related Reports.

Construction of these improvements was completed in 2022.

The Chicago Plan Commission adopted the plan in May 2020 and in June announced the award of Neighborhood Opportunity Funds to two projects that will rehabilitate two vacant storefronts along 79th Street, $52,500 for rehab and build-out for a new co-working space at 1642 E. 79th Street, and $90,000 for renovation and reuse of a vacant building​ for an architecture studio at 2320 E. 79th Street.

In February 2021 Mayor Lori Lightfoot joined the groundbreaking ceremony of the Sisters in Cinema Media Center on East 75th Street at Yates. The Center will house gallery space, a 45-seat theater, editing and computer lab, offices, and classroom and conference space. The Center is scheduled to open in September of 2021.

In the spring of 2021 the City released a two-part RFP for a 1.7-acre site that includes vintage, low-rise buildings and for vacant land adjacent to the Cheltenham station on Metra’s Electric Main Line. The RFP goals include the construction and rehabilitation of transit-oriented housing and ancillary uses. Bids are due August 31, 2021.

The RTA continues to monitor implementation and offer assistance to the City as requested.