Mundelein officials moving forward with new downtown plans

A Chicago firm with a reputation for environmentally friendly urban planning was hired Tuesday to lead a proposed downtown development project in Mundelein.

Farr Associates was chosen from a field of four companies for the effort. It will be paid $150,000 for its services.

Trustees voted 4-1 to hire Farr during a special meeting Tuesday. Sullivan cast the lone “no” vote, while Trustee Ray Semple was absent.

Mundelein officials have been talking about developing an attractive downtown area for decades, but the projects have never really come to fruition. The last big effort was a streetscape plan that brought old-fashioned streetlights, wider sidewalks and other decorative features to part of the retail area near Hawley Street and Route 45 in the 1990s, but it was abandoned after a few years.

The most recent downtown proposal was adopted in 2004. It calls for significant construction near the Metra train station on Archer Avenue. The village owns the train station parking lot and properties on both side of the station, about 17 acres all together.

Doug Farr, president of Farr Associates, and members of his team spoke about the project Tuesday. Farr insisted his team will refine the 2004 plan and bring it to fruition.

“We are not here to develop a brand-new plan,” he said. “It has the right bones.”

Farr stressed the need for an environmentally conscious development in Mundelein. After showing off digital slides of a redevelopment in downstate Normal that includes a green plaza for public gatherings and a fountain that recycles rain water, he said sustainability is a marketing tool that will bring media attention, awards and other accolades.

“Sustainability is not just a good idea, it’s increasingly essential,” Farr said.

Among the possible improvements, officials have discussed building a new village hall in this area. That would be part of the first phase of the project, Farr said.

The train station will remain the center of the plan, he said, because of its importance to the community as a transit point.

“That’s where people land,” Farr said. “We want a wow.”

Trustee Robin Meier said she wants a “wow” project in Mundelein, too.

“I’m very excited to see this process continue and move forward,” she said.

Sullivan was not as enamored with the presentation. He asked Farr why the 2004 plan needs to be redone.

Farr responded by pointing out problems in the proposal, including green space where a gas station on Route 45 and a block of homes now stand. Buying and razing those buildings would cost the village tens of millions of dollars, Farr said, and no one “has the stomach” for that kind of expenditure.

Before the vote, Trustee Terri Voss spoke in favor of working with Farr, saying officials need to plan a downtown “for generations to come.”