Metra Schedule Changes

Some changes to the Milwaukee District West Line Schedule as of December 11th.

The Milwaukee District West Line, which runs between downtown and Big Timber Road in Elgin, now stops at the new station at Grand and Cicero. That station replaces the Cragin stop, at 1912 N. Leclaire, and the Hermosa stop, at 1800 N. Keeler.

Hey, Metra riders: Check that new schedule - Sun Times article

Water Main Installation Night Work to Continue

Central Business District (CBD) Street Resurfacing and Streetscape Program

Weather permitting, construction of the new water main from Chicago Street south down South Grove Avenue will begin the week of December 11, 2006. This work will be done at night in order to minimize impact on downtown businesses and the motoring public. The far right lane on Chicago Street from the river to just east of South Grove Avenue will be closed as well as South Grove Avenue between Chicago Street and Prairie Street. The lane closures will begin at 9 p.m. each evening and will be reopened before 5 a.m. the following morning.

Parking along South Grove Avenue will not be allowed during the lane closures. All vehicles should be removed prior to 9 p.m.

Traffic wishing to travel north from Prairie or Fulton Street can use Spring Street as an alternate.

For further information, please contact Steve Pertzborn, Senior Engineer, at 847-931-5955.

Street Closures Set for Snow Removal

Several downtown streets will be closed from 6 to midnight on Wednesday, December 6th as city crews work to clear snow from on-street parking areas. South Grove Avenue, from Chicago to Spring streets, will be closed throughout the six-hour span.
The following blocks will be temporarily closed between Highland Avenue and East Chicago Street:
• Riverside Drive.
• East side of State Street (Illinois 31).
• South Grove Avenue.
• Douglas Avenue.
These blocks will be closed only as long as it takes crews to clear snow piles from the street parking areas. City crews worked to clear nearly 310-center lane miles of city-owned roads after about 10-inches of snow fell over the entire Elgin area Friday. Signs will be posted to inform residents and guests of road closures and detour routes. For more information, contact Public Works Director John Loete at (847) 697-3160

Christmas Open House at Elgin Windmill Factory Antiques

Wednesday December 6, 5-9pm

Elgin Windmill Factory Antiques
80 N. State Street (Route 31)
Elgin, Illinois 60123
847-717-0327

We will be celebrating the entire day so stop in whenever is convenient for your busy
schedule. We will have finger sandwiches, hot cider, punch and other goodies for
you to munch. The antique mall will have several dealers present and many
discounts will be available to you during that time. We will have live music with
piano playing, harp, flute, and maybe even cow bells. We hope that many of you
can make it on this special night of fun and just enjoying being out with many of our
friends. You can always check out our website at http://www.elginwindmillfactoryantiques.com
for further details, directions or just to contact us.

Aaron Neville Concert Cancelled Due to Weather

The Aaron Neville concert at the Hemmens Auditorium in Elgin scheduled for tonight is canceled due to weather conditions. Ticket holders are asked to keep their tickets until further information is available. An announcement will be made by Hemmens’ management by Monday, with more specific details concerning a rescheduled date. Check the Hemmens’ Web site at www.hemmens.org for updated information.

Meanwhile, any current ticket holder to the Aaron Neville Concert can purchase tickets at half-price for Saturday (Dec. 2) Windham Hill Winter Solstice performance by showing their tickets at The Hemmens’ Box Office. This concert is scheduled for 8 p.m., after the Elgin’s Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Civic Plaza.

Elgin's local artists get home of their own

From the Chicago Tribune on November 28, 2006

A nomadic existence isn't uncommon for theater groups, but Sean Hargadon will happily relinquish the role when Elgin opens a city-subsidized theater space next year.

The Elgin resident founded Janus Theatre Company eight years ago, and his troupe has done shows in Chicago and around the suburbs.

"I think this is overdue; there has been a real need for this type of venue in Elgin," Hargadon said. "We had to do a lot of work in Chicago because there wasn't any space in Elgin."

Renovation of the eighth floor at 164 Division St. for the "black box" theater, whose spaces are typically unadorned, is expected to be complete in time for a January opening. The eight-story Gothic-style office building opened in 1928 and is registered as a local historic site. The city will pay about $115,000 over three years to owner 164 Division LLC, a Chicago investment group.

Read the article here.

Elgin Academy Media, Science and Fine Arts Center

The Media, Science, and Fine Arts Center--a major building in the center the of the Academy’s Hilltop Campus--assumes the highest priority for facilities improvements that will be instrumental in helping the school accomplish its goals.

The building is designed as an environmentally sensitive, LEED-certified structure under the criteria of the U.S. Green Building Council. It will be a “campus hub” while serving the needs of every student in Early Childhood, Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools.

The Academy anticipates construction of the Center at the corner of Dundee Avenue and Kimball Street. The facility will encompass approximately 42,300 square feet on four levels. It is designed to meet a variety of needs for all students, from preschool through twelfth grade.
· A new Library will provide ample space to increase the print and electronic collections that compliment the EA curriculum and will be fully integrated with the computer technology resources of the Academy.
· The Fine Arts Department and virtually all Fine Arts activities will be served by the new Center. The Black Box Theatre will serve the needs of all EA students, as well as providing performance space for many community performing arts groups who will rent the space.
· New state-of-the-art Science and Math Labs will serve Middle and Upper School students.

The new Center will spark many other beneficial changes and will create new opportunities to use space in Edwards, Sears, and North Halls. The greatest changes will occur in Sears Hall where several classrooms are being renovated, lockers replaced, and bathrooms remodeled. Changes in North Hall include converting the art rooms to Preschool and Lower School classrooms. Changes in Edwards Hall include enlarging the computer lab and renovating science classrooms.

Schedule:
Spring 2007 Groundbreaking for the new Center, and construction begins
August 2008 Occupancy of New Media, Science, and Fine Arts Center

Go to the Elgin Academy web site for more information.

Water Main Installation Being Done At Night

Construction of the new water main on and across Chicago Street is being done the week of November 20th at night in order to minimize impact on downtown businesses and the motoring public. This work will include the installation of water main along the south side of Chicago Street from North Grove, where new water main has already been installed, to South Grove. At that intersection, the water main installation will turn south along South Grove. No further water main work on Chicago Street is anticipated in this phase of the project.

Lane closures on Chicago Street will begin at 7 p.m. but the street will remain open to traffic. All lanes on Chicago will be open before the morning rush hour. Utility construction in the downtown area has created many challenges. The night construction for the crossing of Chicago Street is being utilized in order to maintain full access to businesses during the day and to minimize disruption to traffic during peak times.

For further information, please contact Steve Pertzborn, Senior Engineer, at 847-931-5955.

Elgin Receives Three Awards for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization

Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn concluded the 13th Annual Illinois Main Street Downtown Revitalization conference November 14 and 15 held in Waukegan with the Lieutenant Governor Awards for Excellence in Downtown Revitalization. The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) with Community partners brought back to Elgin three awards recognizing local efforts.

The 2005 Block Walk Report Project completed by the DNA Design Committee was a co-winner of the Design Committee Project, the Judson College Partnership with DNA won in the Partnership Development category, and lastly Giants: African Dinosaurs Created by Project Exploration/ Dinos on Parade was a co-winner in the Special Event category. The Downtown Neighborhood Association also received designation as a Premier program through the Illinois Main Street Program, which there are only seven of in Illinois out of sixty-nine communities.

Present to receive an award for the 2005 Block Walk Report was architect, Eric Pepa, urban planner and landscape architect, Paul Bednar, and construction contractor, Rick Krocza as active DNA Design committee participants in this project. The judges declared,” This was a wonderfully proactive approach and a great model for other Main Streets.”

Present to receive an award for the Judson College Partnership was Provost & VP for Academic Affairs, Dale Simmons, Architecture department chair Dr. Curtis Sartor, and students Josh McGarvey, Nickolas Coile, John Wetendorf, Aaron Wood, and recent graduate Maria Sierra. One judge commented, “What a great use of their resources! The students benefit from practical experience and the community reaps the awards!”

Present to receive the “Giants: African Dinosaurs Created by Project Exploration/ Dinos on Parade” award from Gail Borden Public Library was Carole Medal, executive director, Karen Maki, deputy director, Denise Raleigh, director of communications and Jean Bednar, library board member and foundation trustee. The judges declared this a “Dino-mite project” that Gail Borden Public Library, the community and DNA took part in. The project was a success because of a tremendous number of people that contributed.

Illinois Main Street communities from throughout the state submit their best projects for the annual awards. A distinguished panel of judges, including economic development specialists, historic preservation architects, and downtown professionals made the award decisions.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Office administers the Illinois Main Street program, which has 69 designated communities, with an additional 25 introductory communities on the way. It is based on a national model that offers communities help with issues of historic preservation, economic development and downtown improvements. Illinois has the 4th largest program out of the 40 plus states that belong to the National Main Street program administered through the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Downtown Elgin’s Window Wonderland “Holidays Around The World” Event Ushers in Holiday Season

The Downtown Neighborhood Association’s 8th Annual Window Wonderland Event kicks off the holiday season on December 2 from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. All of the event festivities will take place on Elgin’s east side in historic downtown Elgin. This year’s theme, “Holidays Around The World” features activities and events offered by eighteen downtown businesses and several outside organizations. Offerings include refreshments, crafts for children, story-telling, dance workshops, music, dessert and coffee sampling, face-painting, and games. The event coincides with the City of Elgin’s annual tree-lighting ceremony.
Photos with Santa Claus will be offered in the historic Tower Building on the corner of Douglas and Chicago/Grove Streets from 2:00-5:00 p.m. Cost for photos will be $5 each if individuals present a stamped Holidays Around The World “passport,” or $8 each without an event passport. Event passports may be picked up at the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) office at 2 Douglas Ave. or businesses listed below. All activities are free and open to the public.
Assett Realty, 123 S. Grove will have food sampling; Aztec Imports, 163 E. Chicago will offer refreshments; Café Magdalena, 13 Douglas will offer story-telling, “African Christmas” with a craft and refreshments for 3-10 year olds at 2pm and 3:30pm; Evolution Staffing, 10 Douglas will host a bean bag toss game by the St. Edward’s Crusader Youth Cheerleaders; Gasthaus, 15 N. Grove will offer strudel and hot chocolate; Great American Family Diner, 231 Douglas will offer ornament decorating and cheesecake sampling; Jalapenos Restaurant, 7 Clock Tower Plaza will offer a craft for 3-10 year olds, music and Mexican dessert sampling; Kirkpatrick, Jones & Herzog, 19 S. Spring will offer a craft for children; La Quebrada, 50 N. Spring will offer Mariachi’s (music); Let’s Meet For Coffee, 109 E. Highland will offer coffee samples; Mobile Media, 231 Douglas will offer doughnuts; Montana Realty, 8 N. Douglas will offer face-painting and temporary tattoos by the St. Edward’s Crusader Youth Cheerleaders; Razor’s Edge, 55 Douglas will offer hot apple cider; ReRuns Thrift Store, 72 S. Grove will offer refreshments and a sale; Shockey Jewelers, 18 Douglas will offer champagne, refreshments and a sale; Tower Building—ground floor, Corner of Douglas and Chicago/Grove will offer photos with Santa for a fee; YWCA of Elgin, 220 E. Chicago will offer refreshments. Reflejo Latino Dance Group, 15 ½ Ziegler Court will offer dance workshops for 10-16 year olds at 2pm and 2:30pm and 4pm and 4:30pm; Individuals 17 years old and up may attend dance workshops at 3pm and 3:30pm. The Bartlett High School Choir and the Salvation Army will also offer special music all afternoon.
Area groups and downtown businesses and organizations begin decorating windows for the window decorating contest to the theme, “Holidays Around The World” Nov. 17- Dec. 1. Judging by popular vote begins on the day of the event, Dec. 2 and continues through Dec. 24. Windows will also be evaluated by a panel of judges on the day of the event. Votes by the public may be cast by picking up a ballot on the day of the event from the Downtown Neighborhood Association office on 2 Douglas or at any of the participating businesses. Additional information is available online www.downtownelgin.org. The event is sponsored by Chase Bank, Elgin Toyota, and Nick’s Liquors.
If you are interested in more information on how to be part of the Downtown Neighborhood Association or would like to volunteer, please contact the office at 847-488-1456 or visit www.downtownelgin.org.

Elgin on WTTW-Channel 11 on 11/28

WTTW-Channel 11 will air “The Fox River Valley and Chain o’ Lakes” at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28.

The show will feature the Watch Factory, the observatory and Walton Island.

Update:
Encore Airings of this Episode
Tuesday, November 28 at 9:30 pm
Sunday, December 10 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 10 at 10:00 pm

Water Main Break on Grove

Some drivers may have had a few choice words for "the City" when they encountered Grove Ave closed during the Friday evening rush hour. You can take back those words, Public Works was just doing their job. A water main decided it was time to break. With Chicago and Highland down to one lane and the traffic signal work at every intersection, the traffic was backed up in all directions.

The good news is there will be less of these unexpected inconveniences as the five year project to replace all the water mains downtown gets started next week. The bad news is in order to do this there will be planned street closings in limited areas over the next five years.

Hemmens Shows x Four - November 7,9,10,11

There is a show for everyone next week at the Hemmens. For tickets call the box office at 847.931.5900.

- George Winston - Tuesday, November 7, 7:30pm (Solos on piano, guitar, harmonica, and piano dances)
- B.B. King - Thursday, November 9, 8pm (Need we say more about a Blues Legend?)
- Kathy Griffin - Friday, November 10, 8pm (An evening of laughs with this stand-up comedian) SOLD OUT
- Eric Burdon & The Animals - Saturday, November 11, 8pm (Say what British Invasion of the 60's)

Calling All Window Wonderland Decorators

This year’s theme “Holidays Around the World” will feature a wide array of beautifully decorated windows with an international flair in downtown Elgin. If you or your group would like to participate, simply fill out the FORM and fax it back to the DNA office at (847)488-1449 by Monday, November 6. Forms are available online at Window Wonderland form .

Window decorating will take place beginning November 17 and ending on Friday, Dec. 1. All windows must be ready for the big event on December 2. On December 2, a panel of judges will view all of the windows in the contest and will cast their vote for 1st and 2nd place winners in each category: Open (individuals/families/not-for-profits); Student (groups of children age 18 and younger); and Business. The public will also have an opportunity to cast their vote from Dec. 2 through Dec. 25 via ballots available on our web site and in a variety of locations throughout downtown Elgin. Any questions e-mail pmeek@elginil.org or call (847) 488-1456.

New Date for Start of Central Business District (CBD) Street Resurfacing

Central Business District (CBD) Street Resurfacing and Streetscape Program

Start Date for Central Business District Streetscape Program Rescheduled

Construction work on the utility upgrades associated with the first phase of the five year Central Business District Streetscape program has been re-scheduled to begin during the week of November 6. This work will consist of the installation of new water mains, hydrants and water services. Construction will now begin on North Grove Avenue at Highland Avenue. Work will proceed south to Chicago Street, east on Chicago Street to South Grove Avenue and then proceed south on South Grove to Prairie Street. The overall first phase of this project includes utility work on Grove Avenue, between Highland Avenue and Prairie Street, Fulton Street between Villa Street and Spring Street, and Spring Street between Chicago Street and Fulton Street/Grove Street.

The new start date of the construction and the change in the starting location was done to avoid conflict with the sewer separation work which is scheduled to be completed soon.

The nature of the utility construction in the downtown area will create many challenges. The construction will be planned and executed in order to maintain reasonable access during construction, and minimize disruption to the extent possible. During the project, an ongoing public involvement and outreach effort will be maintained to keep stakeholders and the general public informed including newsletters, updates, and project status reports via mailings/handouts and on the City’s website.

For further information, please contact Steve Pertzborn, Senior Engineer, at 847-931-5955.

Fox River Renaissance Alliance Presentation

Several firms are making presentations to the Fox River Renaissance Alliance on Wednesday, November 1st at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Avenue, Elgin, Il. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. and is open to the public.

The schedule is as follows:
1:00 pm - WRD Environmental
1:45 pm - Applied Ecological Services
2:30 pm - LRMG (Land Resource Management Group)
3:15 PM - Hitchcock Design

For more information please contact Denise Raleigh at 847-429-5981.

Link to information on the Fox River Renaissance Alliance. (This is a large file, be patient)

PADS Site on Zoning and Subdivision Hearing Board Agenda

The new site for PADS is on the agenda of Zoning and Subdivision Hearing Board meeting on November 1, 2006 at 7 p.m. The board meets in the city council chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 150 Dexter Ct. Elgin, IL 60120.

PADS has been trying to find a permenant location for several years but everytime a site is selected another roadblock is put up. This time the location is in an industrial area near Elgin Community College, 1730 Berkley St., south of U.S. 20 and west of McLean Boulevard.

Courier News article from October 20th.

Is This in our Future?

The following article struck a chord with me:

Hollywood Florida rejects $100,000 in incentives for Starbucks
By Richard Layman

There have been discussions regarding what will happen to our local home grown businesses as the new residential developments start to fill up and the retail spaces are occupied. Will the desire of some for national brand name retail overshadow the existing businesses that have survived the years of economic decline and the current impact of construction disrupting their operations. It has been suggested that funding be made available to existing businesses to help offset the negative impact during the extensive construction. The progress is certainly welcome and the end result is sure to be worth the sacrifice but don't forget those who paved the way.

Riverside Deck Proposals

Two proposals for the renovation of the Riverside Deck were presented to the city council on Wednesday, October 25th. Hitchcock Design Group and Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Planning Group each presented three concepts.

All three proposals from the HOK Planning Group involved reuse of the existing pilings. One had several sections that extended over the river using the existing pilings while the rest would be removed. Another configured the sections in levels that stepped down toward the river. The last one connected the sections with a series of landscaped areas that reached down towards the river. All three included a fishing pier at the south end.

The Hitchcock Design Group also reused the pilings in two of it's proposals but removed them all in a third design that didn't involve any sections extending out into the river. Instead they proposed using the money saved to fund the pedestrian bridge at Prairie Street that was in the Riverfront Master Plan. It was pointed out that if this route was taken and all the pilings were removed, it was very doubtful that the city would ever be allowed to have a structure that extended into the river in the future. Their first proposal reused all the existing pilings while replacing the deck surface and included a covered structure located half way between Highland and Prairie. The second design replaced the permanent structure with several areas where temporary structures could be placed during the warmer seasons. A boardwalk which sloped down towards the river was added in this design to allow more access to the river. All three proposals involved environmentally friendly designs for the water runoff from the street and pedestrian areas.

The Courier News and Daily Herald articles are linked below.
2 firms unveil plans for Fox deck
Design firms pitch ideas for Riverside rehab

You can view the presentations on the City of Elgin Government Access Channel 17:
Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday at 10:30 a.m.

What are your thoughts?

Water Main Break Repair on Sunday

City crews will repair a water main break in the central business district beginning at 8 a.m. Sunday, October 29th.
"We understand that this is a tremendous inconvenience. We will do everything we can to ensure the work is handled as expeditiously as possible," said Public Works Director John Loete. The repair will require crews to shut off water throughout the area on East Chicago Street from the Spring Street Parking Deck to across State Street (Illinois 31). Water service also will be turned off from Grove Avenue and DuPage Court to the Elgin Tower Building. Water service should be restored by 3 p.m. There will be traffic signs to better direct motorists through the area. Residents and guests also will be unable to park on East Chicago Street, from Spring to Villa streets.
For more information, please call (847) 931-3160.