Huntley's downtown square may get spruce up this spring
Huntley's downtown square is likely to get spruced up this spring with new planters, trees, walkways, benches and bike racks as part of the village's ongoing downtown revitalization.
The village board is expected to vote Thursday night on a conceptual plan for improvements. Officials have allocated $200,000 in this year's budget for square upgrades.
The proposed square improvement plan calls for removing four existing planter boxes and salvaging the stone for new planter areas, removing seven unhealthy trees, reconstructing the brick walkways to match new crosswalks downtown, removing and replacing existing benches and trash receptacles to match those installed as part of the downtown streetscape project, and installing bike racks.
The new brick walkway would have a concrete base to prevent heaving and settling and concrete ribbons to prevent separation. Existing memorial bricks would be relocated to a patio area, per the plan.
Officials also propose moving the Jim Dhamer Town Square sign on the southeast corner to accommodate a future veterans memorial. Its new location would be near the center north-south walkway facing Main Street, documents show.
Huntley has completed the first phase of its downtown revitalization, which began last year and involved spending nearly $4 million. Improvements included upgrading infrastructure, relocating overhead and underground utilities, renovating stormwater and sewer lines, and improving landscaping and sidewalks near the downtown square. Work involved widening sidewalks along Main Street, reconstructing streets, and adding signage, carriage walks with raised planters, benches, bike racks, trash receptacles and trees along the parkway.
Officials anticipate completing the downtown square improvements by mid-May. The conceptual plan was received favorably by the village board's committee of the whole earlier this week.
Work on the 25-foot-long, curved black granite veteran's monument also is expected to be done this spring.