Study Area Context
Sector A (PDF) is located near the southwestern edge of the Village. Development within the Downtown remained relatively static until the Village implemented its first Downtown tax increment financing district (TIF) in 1990. By 1993, the first two redevelopment projects were underway: Lincoln Terrace, live-work townhomes over ground-level commercial space at Warren Street and Lincoln Avenue, and what is now Aldi and Market Place on Oakton.
Plans to open a new CTA Yellow Line station at Oakton Street and Skokie Boulevard, the development of the Illinois Science + Technology Park, and the pending redevelopment of the northwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street are new key activity generators, bringing more residents, employees, and visitors Downtown. We see many influences affecting future development in Downtown, some of which are listed below:
In addition to bringing additional commuters to the area, this new CTA Yellow Line station will create transit-oriented development opportunities and make Downtown an even more attractive place to live and work by providing easy and fast access to and from the City of Chicago and other suburbs connected to the CTA system.
The campus completed a major expansion in 2006, increasing the size of the facility to approximately 180,000 square feet and providing a solid southern anchor. Students, staff, and campus visitors are potential residents and patrons of Downtown businesses and governmental services.
Recent and ongoing housing development is creating the critical mass of Downtown residents that is essential to support business development. It will also create an active environment that will attract additional visitors and potential future residents to the area.
This activity center for children and families attracts Skokie residents and visitors from throughout the region and is also the site of the annual Skokie Festival of Cultures, which attracted over 20,000 people in 2007.Considering the unique characteristics of Downtown, well-organized appropriately-scaled new development will further enhance Downtown Skokie's image and make it a more vibrant place to live, shop, and work.
More Growth
Nine more new residential, mixed-use, or commercial projects were completed or underway by summer 2007, totaling 508 new residential units and 76,500 square feet of new retail and commercial space. In 2000, Sector A had 8,230 residents. In 2005, after Pfizer closed its Parkway campus, the Village counted every job in Skokie and found that 2,772 people worked in Sector A. The Skokie Public Library and Oakton Community College completed major expansions during the same period.Plans to open a new CTA Yellow Line station at Oakton Street and Skokie Boulevard, the development of the Illinois Science + Technology Park, and the pending redevelopment of the northwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street are new key activity generators, bringing more residents, employees, and visitors Downtown. We see many influences affecting future development in Downtown, some of which are listed below:
Illinois Science + Technology Park (IS+TP)
A master plan was developed by Forest City Enterprises and approved by the Village Board in 2006 for a 23-acre multi-building campus on the former G. D. Searle & Company site. When completed, IS+TP could eventually contain 2,000,000 square feet of research and office space, three parking garages, over three acres of parks and plazas open to the public, extensive streetscaping and traffic improvements, and up to 6,000 jobs. In June 2007, there was 670,000 square feet of research and office space at IS+TP and about 750 employees working on site.
Oakton Station
In addition to bringing additional commuters to the area, this new CTA Yellow Line station will create transit-oriented development opportunities and make Downtown an even more attractive place to live and work by providing easy and fast access to and from the City of Chicago and other suburbs connected to the CTA system.
Oakton Community College
The campus completed a major expansion in 2006, increasing the size of the facility to approximately 180,000 square feet and providing a solid southern anchor. Students, staff, and campus visitors are potential residents and patrons of Downtown businesses and governmental services.
Continued Residential & Mixed-use Development
Recent and ongoing housing development is creating the critical mass of Downtown residents that is essential to support business development. It will also create an active environment that will attract additional visitors and potential future residents to the area.Civic Core
Consisting of the Village Hall, the Public Library, Skokie Farmers' Market, and the Historical Museum, the civic core attracts people from all sectors of the community for various informational, civic, and cultural services.Oakton Park, Water Playground, & Exploratorium
This activity center for children and families attracts Skokie residents and visitors from throughout the region and is also the site of the annual Skokie Festival of Cultures, which attracted over 20,000 people in 2007.Considering the unique characteristics of Downtown, well-organized appropriately-scaled new development will further enhance Downtown Skokie's image and make it a more vibrant place to live, shop, and work.