THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008
Des Plaines Reviewing Historic Sites
City officials are hoping to conduct an assessment of historic properties in the city, in particular the downtown area, to determine which of those properties should be included in future central business district redevelopment plans.
Des Plaines Community Development Director Mike Conlan suggests a "Historic Resources Inventory" in a recent report he compiled called Strategic Initiatives 2008. The document includes numerous photographs of buildings and property in the city which Conlan would like to focus improvement efforts. Among the categories are:
* Planning for 5 Corners TIF District Development
* Cumberland Transit-Oriented Development
* Algonquin Road Railroad Grade Separation Study
* Formed-Based Zoning Codes
* Downtown Streetscape
* Industrial Design Guidelines,
* Transit-Oriented Development: Current Projects
* Intermodal Terminal Facility area
* The Greenbelt Concept
* TIF District #6 Hotel Developments
* Industrial/Residential Land Buffers
* Downtown Major Projects Infill
* Sustainable Neighborhood Development
* Oakton Street/Elmhurst Road Commercial Corridors Study
* Historic Resources Inventory
* Workforce Housing
"It is one of Des Plaines' strong points that, unlike the new suburban and exurban communities that are being created seemingly overnight, this community has a number of historic buildings that exhibit the character and craftsmanship of the past," said Conlan of a Historic Resources Inventory.
"While some of these structures are truly iconic, like the Des Plaines Theater building, others are simply remnants of past patterns of urban density, viewed as 'placeholders' until a more comprehensive, modern development can take their place. Looking down Miner Street there is, quite frankly, very little historic fabric left."
Conlan added that an assessment must show that "historic properties by their very nature, have a unique, individual character; just the opposite of the stamped-from-the-mold suburban malls, built by one person all at the same time and indistinguishable, one from the other."