Glen Ellyn trustees want to interview final four on downtown

Glen Ellyn leaders will interview four consulting groups in coming weeks, one of which will be selected to devise the plan for rejuvenating the downtown area.

Village board members will interview Teska Associates, Inc. and Town Builder Studio at 6 p.m. Monday. On Dec. 3, board members expect to hold a special workshop to interview Houseal Lavigne Associates and Vandewalle & Associates, Inc. also at 6 p.m..

Residents can sit in on the hour-long interviews, though village officials will be doing most of the talking.

"The questions and answers will be between the board and consultant teams," Acting Village Manager Curt Barrett said.

During the past two months, village staff members selected six of 17 consultant groups and recommended trustees interview the top two.

However, earlier this week, trustees expressed an interest in reviewing the top four teams.

Trustee Sara Lee said if the village is spending about $100,000 on the study that's done once in a blue moon, the process shouldn't be rushed and every detail should be given attention.

"We have issues that need to be dealt with," she said. "I can't confidently move forward."

Barrett said so far, the process is on schedule.

"It is a major undertaking, and we are treating it as such," he said. "I think it's important to stay on track with the milestones on the process, and thus far, we have stayed on our schedule."

Barrett said the village needs a team that has experience in planning, urban design, parking, traffic, transportation, market study and analysis.