Motorists driving through or visiting Oak Park may soon encounter parking and traffic issues due to the construction of a new mixed-use building in the downtown area.
In October, the razing of an aging parking garage is expected to begin, and a 21-story building will be constructed at the site at Lake Street and Forest Avenue.
The development will include 270 rental apartments, 25,000 square feet of ground-level retail and a parking garage with 588 parking spaces. Village officials said that demolition of public parking is the first step of the project. Once the garage is razed, construction on the building is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
Village Spokesman David Powers suggests that those who used the garage at Lake Street and Forest Avenue should park at the Holley Court Garage a few blocks to the west of the project.
The Avenue Garage east of Oak Park Avenue at North Boulevard is also a parking option, he said. The village also recently started a village-sponsored valet parking service near the old garage site. The service is available during weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It costs $5 to park for up to three hours and $12 to park for three to 12 hours.
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“We think there are still a lot of options for parking,” Powers said. “There are also many public transportation options that serve the downtown area.”
Powers said the Metra and the CTA Green Line trains run through the downtown.
Powers also said that traffic might back up on Lake Street.
“There will likely be some construction vehicles on the road causing some traffic congestion during the daytime hours,” Powers said. “Lake Street is not going to be torn up.”
Construction could begin on another mixed-use building in the spring of 2015 at Lake Street and North Boulevard, which currently has several parking lots that are owned by the village. Plans call for constructing a six-story building facing Lake Street and an 11-story building facing North Boulevard.
The two buildings would be connected by a pedestrian bridge over Westgate Street, according to village officials. The building will include 248 apartments and a five-level parking garage. The buildings will also include about 26,000 square feet of new retail space.
The village is also negotiating for the redevelopment of village-owned property on South Boulevard and Harlem Avenue. Preliminary plans are for a mixed-use structure with about 250 residential units, 10,000 square feet of retail space and parking for about 150 vehicles. Details are still being negotiated and plan commission review is required.
The village is also hoping to start a new streetscape project in the summer of 2015 on Marion Street. The project will include underground infrastructure improvements, a gateway area and enhanced pedestrian and cyclist access with wider sidewalks.