Northwest suburban mayors look ahead to 2018 expectations

In Monday's Neighbor section, suburban mayors and village presidents shared their thoughts on their towns' successes in 2017. Today, they look ahead and share what they hope their communities accomplish in 2018.

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<h3 class="leadin">Tom Hayes,

Arlington Heights

In 2018, we again look forward to working together with all of our community partners to further enhance the quality of life we enjoy in Arlington Heights. A major focus for the year will be the completion and occupancy of our new police station that will meet the needs of both our police department and our community for many decades to come. We thank all members of the team involved in keeping the project on time and under budget, as well as our residents for their support of this much-needed municipal facility.

<h3 class="leadin">Karen Darch,

Barrington

We look forward to the completion of a major sewer infrastructure replacement project which was started in 2017, and more terrific community and cultural events, including the return in February of "Barrington Town Warming" - a unique community event in Barrington in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

<h3 class="leadin">Kevin Wallace,

Bartlett

In 2018, we are looking forward to making great progress on the infrastructure improvements that need to be made for us to fully transition to Lake Michigan water in 2019. It will be a huge and much-anticipated improvement for the Village of Bartlett, providing high-quality, softened water to all residents.

<h3 class="leadin">Beverly Sussman,

Buffalo G</a><![CDATA[

For 2018, we will continue our strong focus on providing the best services to our residents and businesses as efficiently as possible, contributing to the already high quality of life and developing economic resources to benefit our community. We will be finishing the Lake-Cook Road Corridor Plan and Marketing Study, moving to the implementation phase. We will kick off the Prairie View Sub-Area Plan to address development pressure around our northerly Metra station. Lastly, we will launch our new 2018-2023 Strategic Plan for the betterment of our fine village. Best wishes to all of our residents and business owners for a healthy and happy 2018!

<h3 class="leadin">Dale Sands, Deer Park

Complete the renovation and update of D'Angelo Park, which is one of 13 parks in the village - seven of which have been updated in the last five years. Continue the progress to implement several infrastructure improvement projects for street resurfacing, drainage improvements and park renovations. Determine commercial property development opportunities, particularly along the Rand Road corridor, to continue the orderly development to meet resident needs. Conduct the biannual survey of Deer Park residents to gain feedback on development priorities and community needs.

<h3 class="leadin">Matt Bogusz,

Des Plaines

In 2018, I'm looking forward to our plan for the Des Plaines Theatre.

<h3 class="leadin">Craig Johnson,

Elk Grove Village

Looking forward to next year, the village will begin its second year of its ambitious, long-range infrastructure plan with over $125 million investment back into the community. This investment will serve the community into the next generation and beyond and will create thousands of jobs. Elk Grove 2025 includes unprecedented investment in infrastructure - including major construction on four facilities, road reconstruction and resurfacing, streetscaping enhancements, street lighting, drainage projects, and bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The village will make significant strides to complete the new James Paul Petri Public Works Facility next year, and construction will be well underway on two new fire stations in 2018.

<h3 class="leadin">Rod Craig,

Hanover Park

In 2018, the village will begin the strategic implementation of the Village Center Plan, focusing on the private property improvements to those properties south of the Metra station, the Elgin-O'Hare boulevard extension, wetlands and the promotion of development along the north side of Lake Street. Additionally, the village has allocated more than $7.5 million to its Capital Improvement Program to fund projects to include street resurfacing program, completion of the new LED streetlights, parkway tree replacement, Village Center streetscaping, Metra parking lot resurfacing and village wide drainage repairs.

<h3 class="leadin">Bill McLeod,

Hoffman Estates

In 2018, the village looks forward to expanding transportation opportunities for residents, with the new transit station scheduled to open at the Barrington Road Interchange and Pace initiating Bus Rapid Transit on the Jane Addams Tollway. We also expect continued redevelopment, including more new stores and restaurants at Hoffman Plaza. The village supports small businesses and to assist their growth, the village, in cooperation with several other Northwest suburban communities, established the Next Level Northwest business accelerator. Developing these types of relationships will help the village continue to "Grow to Greatness" in 2018.

<h3 class="leadin">Jack Tatooles,

Inverness

For 2018, the village will continue to reinvest in its road and drainage infrastructure, while remaining fiduciary responsible by operating a conservative financial plan, with a strong fund balance, to withstand the fiscal challenges of the state of Illinois.

<h3 class="leadin">Kevin Richardson,

Lake Barrington

Building on the launch of the new Speedway at the corner of Route 14 and Kelsey Road, we look forward to expanding the village's economic base with other new business development initiatives. All of these will focus on growing sales tax revenue in support of our continuing efforts to both hold the line on the village property tax levy and provide the needed support for infrastructure improvements throughout the village.

<h3 class="leadin">Arlene Juracek,

Mount Prospect

In 2018, we expect major development to break ground in downtown Mount Prospect. Several projects will be considered for final approval this spring, including high quality mixed-use and residential projects. The Prospect and Main TIF district has enabled these projects to become a reality. The vision, focus and energy throughout the village mirrors that of our founders a century ago and will serve us well in our next century.

<h3 class="leadin">Jim Schwantz,

Palatine

In 2018, the village looks to further leverage our communication outlets in an effort to increase awareness about issues and events within Palatine. This will include an expanded use of the village's website, the weekly PalatinE-Newsletter, and the village's official Facebook page.

<h3 class="leadin">Nick Helmer,

Prospect Heights

We will focus on the redevelopment of our City Center in 2018 and look to bring in new housing and shopping areas. It will be a gargantuan challenge. We will continue to make progress and really become the city of Prosperous Prospect Heights.

<h3 class="leadin">Len Prejna,

Rolling Meadows

Looking ahead to 2018, the city will move forward with maintenance resurfacing of Kirchoff Road from Wilke Road west to Hicks Road. The monthly City Market will be moving to the center of town and be located at the Community Church on Kirchoff Road. This will continue to draw citizens and members of the business community to the center of our city.

<h3 class="leadin">Al Larson,

Schaumburg

I believe 2018 will be an exciting year for the Village of Schaumburg as we continue to discuss plans for the redevelopment of the former Motorola Solutions campus. Located just north of I-90 in a tax increment financing (TIF) district that was established in 2014, the area, which has been called 90 North, offers a major catalytic redevelopment opportunity for the village and the larger Chicago region. It is located in a highly desirable location next to regional transportation corridors of I-90, I-290 and Route 53 and is in proximity to O'Hare International Airport. The village has already welcomed headquarters for Sunstar Americas and Zurich North America, and we continue to discuss the best way to complement these anchors, as well as provide a framework for the existing area that will also complement existing businesses Motorola Solutions and the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel. The village has developed a master plan for the area that includes goals to create a vibrant mixed-use center with a walkable core of offices for international, national, and local companies. This plan also includes hotels, entertainment venues and other amenities serving daytime users as well as providing a unique evening destination. Other goals indicated in the plan include providing high-end residential options to allow employees to live within walking distance to the office core. In addition, the area will be tied together with a framework of connected public streets, trails, open spaces and walkable development blocks, which includes seamless connections across Meacham Road for the east and west district as well as the integration of bus rapid transit and other transit modes.

<h3 class="leadin">Billie Roth,

Streamwood

A goal for 2018 is the completion and implementation of our comprehensive plan. This long-range plan is focused on how our community can grow over the next 20 years. Through online surveys and public meetings, our residents told us that Streamwood offers a true sense of community, with strong neighborhoods and abundant open spaces, trails and parks. Providing opportunities to improve connections within our community will be a focus for 2018.