West Chicago mayor’s renderings spark community interest in downtown development

West Chicago residents are responding to a series of renderings of downtown improvements Mayor Daniel Bovey recently posted on Facebook.

That was exactly Bovey’s intent with the 19 pictures of elements, including a public plaza, courts for athletics, a marketplace and more. Several elements incorporate West Chicago’s history with the railway that runs through the downtown, and a vacant, 150-year-old station.

“This is not a plan. We’re inviting the community to be part of the plan from the get-go, so give us your feedback,” Bovey told the Daily Herald this week.

The images have drawn hundreds of views and comments.

“I wanted to spark the conversation with people,” he said. “I feel like part of what we need to get over the hump of making this happen is a community vision. You can sit here and talk about budgets and talk about code, and all that’s good. But when JFK said, ‘We’re going to put a man on the moon in 10 years,’ it captured people’s imagination.”

Bovey is focusing on three principles in considering downtown development: investing in smaller spaces for businesses, office spaces, food and the arts; creating a “Third Space” where people can gather away from work or home; and community involvement “from the ground floor,” he said.

Bovey said his Facebook post was planned in conjunction with a new Temporary Downtown Revitalization Commission that Business & Community Relations Director Kelley Chrisse introduced at the Aug. 18 council meeting.

The nine-member panel would include residents, business owners, and city staff “to try to bring all those conversations to one place to be pulling together,” Bovey said.

Chrisse said key facets of the commission include the revitalization, delivering services, elevating community identity and future investment.

“I like this a lot. I think this is something the city needs,” Alderman Matthew Myers said as the council discussed the commission.

Bovey said his images were the result of conversations with elected officials past and present, developers, business leaders and the residents he canvassed during his election campaign.

“We’re trying to demonstrate to investors, developers, and the community that we’re committed to making this a really exciting, vibrant community place that you should want to be part of, from the ground up,” Bovey said.

“Because right now property values are very low, and once we get this going, they’re going to go up,” he added.