Above / Attendees will have the opportunity to view final design renderings and ask questions from 3:30PM to 7:30PM Tues., Feb. 22, 2022, in the empty storefront (formerly Gap) along Main Street across the street from Allegory and Dean’s Fine Clothing in downtown Naperville.
The City of Naperville’s Transportation, Engineering and Development Business (TED) Group and the Downtown Naperville Alliance (DNA) will host a public open house on Tues., Feb. 22, 2022, to share final design renderings for the Downtown Streetscape Project improvements. Merchants and members of the public who wish to learn more about the project are invited to attend the open house on Feb. 22 anytime between 3:30 and 7:30PM at 225 S. Main Street, Naperville.
The improvements to Jefferson Avenue between Main and Webster streets along with Main Street (Note photo above along Main Street.) between Jackson and Jefferson avenues will include new utility lines, roadway and parking spaces, along with a completely new streetscape built to current City standards. This work will improve pedestrian mobility, accessibility and safety in this area.
The City awarded a construction contract ($4.9 million) to RW Dunteman Co. at the Tues., Feb. 15, City Council meeting and construction is projected to begin in early March. Work will be phased to minimize disruption to the downtown businesses and nearby residents.
Open house attendees will have the opportunity to view final design renderings as well as discuss and ask questions about project details such as impacts, parking closures and pedestrian and business access. Representatives from the City’s TED Group, the DNA and the City’s engineering design consultant Civiltech will be on site during the open house to provide project details and answer questions.
No formal presentation will be given, and attendees can come and go at any point during the open house.
For more project information and updates, visit www.naperville.il.us/dtprogress.
Editor’s Note / Also approved among other things on the Feb. 15 City Council agenda was the 2022 West Suburban Irish St. Patrick’s Parade, stepping off at 10AM Sat., March 12. The parade will follow a slightly different route through downtown Naperville to avoid Jefferson Avenue. Acknowledging the beginning of the aforementioned Downtown Streetscape Project, WSI Parade Chairman Paul Santucci said the parade will be staged as usual beginning at Naperville North High School, take Mill Street south all the way to Jackson Avenue, head east and turn south (right) on Main Street to Water Street where entries will begin departing. Celebrate safely!
Update, Feb. 22, 2022 / Downtown Streetscape construction begins March 1 with construction expected to last until late August.
Long-awaited work to improve streets, sidewalks and utilities in portions of downtown Naperville is scheduled to begin Tuesday, March 1, pending weather or unforeseen circumstances. These updates will improve pedestrian mobility, accessibility and safety in this area while also ensuring downtown Naperville continues to be a must-see destination for residents and visitors for years to come.
Work will take place along Jefferson Avenue between Main and Webster streets and Main Street between Jackson and Jefferson avenues and is scheduled to be complete by the end of August. Phased work schedules will close portions of streets at various times while still allowing access to businesses. Main Street work begins in Phase 1, with Jefferson Avenue the Phase 2 focus. Phases 3 and 4 focus on Jackson Avenue, Webster Street and water main lining along Jefferson Avenue and may be performed in conjunction with earlier phases. Final roadway surface and project cleanup will take place during the fifth and final phase of the project.
There will be significant impacts to travel in the downtown area during this work even with the phased approach utilized to minimize impacts. There will be no on-street parking or vehicle access on Main between Jackson and Jefferson and on Jefferson between Webster and Main during various work phases. Intermittent impacts and closures will be dependent on the work being performed.
Traffic control plans are in place to maintain pedestrian access to all buildings, and temporary traffic control variations will support truck parking and short-term deliveries. Phase-specific road and parking closure maps are now available at www.naperville.il.us/downtownprogress.
This work is part of the Downtown: Progress in Progress initiative that focuses on continued growth and improvements in the downtown area. Once complete, improvements will include wider sidewalks and more pedestrian space, more trees and plantings, updated street furniture and light fixtures and additional outdoor amenity areas for businesses. For more information and project updates, visit www.naperville.il.us/downtownprogress. For more information about the Downtown Naperville Alliance, contact Executive Director Danielle Tufano at dtufano@naperville.net.
