Lake Bluff adopted its Downtown Streetscape Concept Plan on December 13, 2021 as a conceptual vision to be implemented over time. The Plan was the result of a six-month effort by the Village to evaluate existing conditions, listen to community goals and consider conceptual streetscape enhancement plans for Lake Bluff’s Central Business District (CBD).
Lake Bluff’s Downtown has long been recognized as the historical and cultural center place of the community. Given Downtown Lake Bluff’s background and a renewed focus on public places, now is the time to focus on Lake Bluff’s Downtown environment. Downtown businesses are vibrant and want more public places. Community members are finding themselves outdoors more often, walking and biking between neighborhoods, parks, the beach, and Downtown. Now is an opportune time to capitalize on Downtown vibrancy and community interests in public places.
Downtown Lake Bluff is a welcoming gathering space and the community’s outdoor living room. The streetscape is recognized for its compact walkable scale, charming two and three story buildings, mature trees, and landscaping. In addition, Downtown maintains it’s historic mix of land uses that make for a vibrant community centerplace, including Village Hall, Police and Fire Station, Metra Station, Library and Museum, Village Green, Post Office, and a mix of attractive restaurants and retail shops. The Streetscape Concept Plan is designed to support this vibrant mix, reinforcing pedestrian entrances, clear and open sidewalk spaces, and more opportunities for public seating and gathering.
Highlights of the Plan recommendations include:
- Incorporating flexible outdoor public seating and specialty lighting.
- Adding and upgrading bicycle racks, planters, drinking fountains, and other street furniture.
- Improving connectivity between the Metra Parking Lot and downtown.
- Accommodate flexible street uses using a partially curbless, one-way street on the north side of the Village Green.
- Adding casual seating nooks and amenities.
- Maximizing on-street parking.
- Decluttering sidewalks.
- Protecting existing trees and infilling new trees and native entry plantings.
- Reinforcing green transitions to neighborhoods.
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