Background
On April 6, 2016, a meeting was held at Village Hall to discuss the image of South Arlington Heights Road, particularly at the intersection of Arlington Heights Road and Algonquin Road. This area is known as Southtown. The meeting was arranged in cooperation with Meet Chicago Northwest. In attendance were several general managers from Southtown Arlington Heights hotels, Trustee Carol Blackwood (a Meet Chicago Northwest Board Member), and Village Manager Randy Recklaus, in addition to Staff from Public Works and Planning & Community Development.
Karolina Skrodziuk, General Manager of Courtyard Chicago Arlington Heights/South, presented on behalf of the other hotel representatives. Her presentation highlighted four key areas of improvement that would benefit the corridor:
- Corridor Beautification – improving the aesthetic value of the area.
- Mobility – allowing for better pedestrian movement throughout the corridor.
- Signage – creating greater sense-of-place and wayfinding.
- Economic Development – attracting more complementary businesses to Southtown.
An internal Staff meeting took place to outline an approach to study this corridor:
- Short Term – Code enforcement; relay construction concerns to the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority; seed money for banners
- Mid Term (next 12 months) – Comprehensive study
- Long Term – Implementation; prioritization; funding
Ultimately, a long-term study of the Southtown area, similar to the one being conducted for the Rand Road corridor, would be of the utmost benefit. The intersection of Arlington Heights Road and Algonquin Road is a crucial gateway into our community and there is the potential for significant economic benefit in enhancing this section of the Village, especially in encouraging hotel guests to patronize our businesses, which results in tourist spending and additional revenue to the community.
Recommendation:
This is a status update and no action is requested.