Housing, retail, recreation, conservation options on the table for three sites in Elgin

Apartments and condos. Bike trails and parks. Retail shops and a grocery store. A marina with kayaking and paddle boating.

All options were on the table as more than 100 residents attended Elgin's first public input meeting Tuesday night for the North Grove Redevelopment Area.

The area is roughly 38 acres of mostly vacant land on three separate sites located north, east and south of the Gail Borden Library near the Fox River.

"There are so many things we can do here. There's not one right answer," Community Development Director Marc Mylott said. "So that's what this is all about - to find out what the community wants."

Last year, the city contracted Lamar Johnson Collaborative to hold public input meetings, create a land plan, establish guidelines and draft development strategies for the land. The design and architectural firm company presented three scenarios for residents to envision what is possible.

"These scenarios are just to get people thinking about different overarching themes," Mylott said. "There are so many different things that could happen in each of those sites. It's really exciting."

Lesley Roth of Lamar Johnson Collaborative said they were very encouraged by the turnout.

"I think people are really excited about this project and are very engaged," she said.

Roth said they started by looking regionally at what other communities were doing along the Fox and Des Plaines rivers. Then they worked that into what Elgin already is doing to come up with possible scenarios for development.

"Site design doesn't exist in isolation," she said. "We are designing three sites. But they exist in the broader context of downtown Elgin and then the broader context of the city of Elgin."

Thirty models and maps showing the properties and possibilities were stationed around the Heritage Ballroom at the Centre of Elgin. Boards allowed residents to place stickers on ideas they considered preferable and leave notes with their own concepts.

Suggestions ran the gamut from microbreweries to miniature golf to dog parks to food co-ops.

Paul and Laurie Alexander, who moved within walking distance of the downtown about three years ago, suggested adding a grocery store, retail and restaurants near the river, along with "affordable, but nice, housing."

"I like the idea of a walkable city," Paul Alexander said. "That's what I'm excited about. I want to be able to walk and get things done and see a lot of things just by walking, not driving."

Mylott said there will be more public input sessions. An online survey, which has garnered a good response so far, will be up until the end of the month. He said options for the development should be presented to the city council by the end of the summer.