At 6:30 tonight the Park Ridge City Council is holding a “workshop” on the Higgins Road Corridor Plan (the “Plan”).  For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Higgins Road Corridor Plan, it’s supposed to be the City’s “vision” for how the southern border of Park Ridge – primarily between Dee Road and Cumberland, although the “Corridor” technically runs all the way from Dee to Canfield – will be redeveloped.

The Plan proposed by the City’s consultants, Camiros, Ltd. and Valerie S. Kretchmer Associates, Inc. is, in our opinion, far too pedestrian – and by that we don’t mean favorable to walkers.  If adopted and implemented, it will do virtually nothing to make the Park Ridge portion of the Higgins Corridor a “destination” or a significant revenue generator. 

Fortunately, back in March the City Council asked Staff to look for more opportunities for commercial development that will generate greater revenues for the City while still remaining consistent with the general character of the community.  One idea which we hope is fully-explored is the possibility of including a small, quality hotel that could attract other compatible businesses, like restaurants.

In her June 15, 2009, Agenda Cover Memorandum, the City’s Director of Community Preservation & Development, Carrie Davis raises five questions for the Council, which we have taken the liberty of suggesting some answers (in bold):

1. Does the Council want a larger commercial use, such as a hotel, even though it may take acquiring land, such as single family residential properties to the north of the corridor?  This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for significant redevelopment of a border area of Park Ridge that enjoys unique accessibility to both the CTA and the Kennedy Expressway, as well as proximity to Rosemont and Des Plaines.  Every option needs to be fully explored so that this opportunity is not wasted.

2. What measures does the Council want to take to increase the size of assembled sites to encourage redevelopment?  The City needs to express its willingness to work with developers to maximize the value of the Corridor to our community which, in turn, should increase the value of the Corridor to the developers.  The City should invite developer proposals while expressing its commitment to assist developers in assembling additional land if needed to increase the size and scope of the project in ways that are mutually beneficial.

3. Does the Council want to acquire additional right-of-way along Peterson Avenue?  If acquisition would substantially enhance the project, why not?  The City not only sold off its old reservoir property for Uptown Redevelopment, but it also acquired private land (e.g., the Bredemann Toyota and Buick dealership property).  Why should it do less for the Higgins Corridor project?   

4. How tall does the Council want to encourage new buildings to be?  The Council should let it be known that it would favor proposals that do not exceed five stories, with the City being willing to facilitate plans that conform to that restriction by assisting in enlarging the footprint of the project.

5. How does the Council want to address traffic and parking issues?  Those issues should be addressed, in the first instance, by the developer(s).  Until the City knows what developers want to do with the area, there’s no reason to guess at what the traffic and parking needs will be.

In summary, we strongly encourage the City Council to resist the urge to accept small-minded tweaks to the current Higgins Corridor structures and uses.  The Corridor has enormous potential for becoming a major economic engine for Park Ridge while minimally disrupting life throughout the rest of the community.  That potential should not be squandered.