What Do You Think of Downtown Northbrook?

Is there something you’d really like to see in downtown Northbrook? Perhaps a certain type of restaurant, business or simply more shops, period?

Well, now’s your chance to share your opinion with the village. As part of , officials are seeking residents’ input via an online questionnaire.  

Since RTA awarded Northbrook the funds—designated for improving development around the Metra station—the village has hired Teska Associates as a consultant on the process and formed a Downtown Plan Steering Committee. Selected by Village President Sandra Frum, the committee includes Trustee James Karagianis, Plan Commission member Scott Cyphers, a downtown business owner, a downtown property owner and village residents, among others.

Following the committee’s first meeting in June, Teska Associates launched a website to provide updates on the process and collect questionnaires.   

“Right now the consultant is gathering information on the downtown, and as part of that, they’re doing this online questionnaire to get input from the community,” said David Schoon, economic development coordinator for the village. Teska Associates will collect input via questionnaires through July 31, he added.

While the village has collected more than 500 questionnaires since the website went live June 30, Schoon said they’re still hoping more residents will participate.

“We just want to get as many people involved as possible,” he said.

Following the collection of questionnaires, Teska Associates will be studying downtown Northbrook’s retail market, office market and residential market before presenting a report to the steering committee at its next meeting in August.

“Eventually the goal is to create a plan for downtown land use,” Schoon explained.

The process will focus on four sites: the Metra station parking lot, properties along the south side of Shermer Road between Waukegan Road and Church Street, properties at the northwest corner of Shermer and Meadow roads and the Meadow Road shopping center

“The idea is, if someone wants to redevelop those sites, they have an idea of what the village is interested in improving,” he said.

The next opportunity for public comment takes place Oct. 17-20, when the village hosts a planning workshop with Teska Associates. Following that workshop, Teska Associates will create a draft plan to submit to the steering committee for comment in November or December. Ultimately, Schoon said, the plan will go before the village board for approval.

To share your thoughts during this part of the process, visit www.northbrook.il.us/downtownplan and click on “Your Opinion Is Important To Us.”