Huntley to spend $7 million on downtown revitalization

Huntley plans to spend roughly $7 million on the ongoing facelift of its historic downtown.

The money is earmarked as part of nearly $11 million budgeted for proposed capital projects this year.

Nearly $4 million in downtown work will involve relocating overhead and underground utilities, renovating stormwater and sewer lines, and improving landscaping and sidewalks near the downtown square, Village Manager Dave Johnson said.

“This is one area of the village where we still have older infrastructure,” Johnson said.

The work marks the final phase of Huntley's downtown revitalization effort, which began last year.

Officials are kicking it into high gear with the promise of Amtrak passenger rail service expected to be operational from Huntley's downtown by November.

“About $3 million of it is tied to the passenger rail project,” Johnson said.

The state will reimburse the village roughly $2.9 million toward construction of the station, including the platform, station building and parking lot.

“Under the terms of the intergovernmental agreement, we are obligated to be able to provide a platform for riders by the end of 2015,” Johnson said.

Work on the station likely will begin in the spring.

The revitalization plan calls for widening sidewalks along Main Street, adding carriage walks with raised planters, benches, bike racks, trash receptacles and trees along the parkway, reconstructing streets and adding signage. Parking would be reconfigured along Main Street and within the municipal parking lot, creating additional spaces throughout downtown to accommodate a 5,400-square-foot mixed-use building under construction.

A new parking lot also is proposed for village property south of Main Street businesses. Overall, parking would increase from roughly 187 to 219 parking spaces in downtown. Main Street also would be raised to reduce curb heights and make the street closer to level with sidewalks.

Plans also call for reconfiguring the intersection of Route 47 and Main Street to create a plaza on the northwest corner with a statue at its center along with landscaping, as well as improving the northeast and southwest corners.

Relocation of ComEd, AT&T and Comcast utility lines is the first step before streetscape improvements can begin this spring, Johnson said.

“Our intent is to be done (with revitalization) by the end of the year,” he added.

Johnson said the village will borrow $4 million for the revitalization work.

“We've got a significant amount of debt that we'll be paying off for our public works building and municipal complex building,” he said.

Final debt service payments on the $2 million loan for the public works building and $3 million loan for the municipal complex are due by next year. The village also will be making its final payment this year on its share of the cost — $4 million — for the Route 47/Interstate 90 full interchange.

“With those three projects wrapping up, there is obviously some dollars available to invest in the heart of the community,” Johnson said.