The City of Palos Heights voted last week to adopt a downtown redevelopment plan created by MKSK Studios, a move meant to give the city a roadmap towards revitalizing the downtown area from 122nd to 124th streets along Harlem Avenue.
MKSK reportedly submitted its full report to the city on Sept. 14, and city staff and city council members have reviewed it over the last three weeks.
There was a slight confusion during the Oct. 6 meeting surrounding the approval, as the board voted unanimously to sign off on the plan, seemingly forgetting that two members of the MKSK team were present in the audience for a pre-vote presentation. Ald. Jeffery Key noted that this misstep was due to the city’s close involvement with the plan and the council’s long consideration of the final proposal, not that they voted without knowing what was in the document.
MKSK was then permitted to give its presentation for the gathered residence and TV cameras after the vote.
Landscape Architect Brett Weidl and Urban Designer and Planner Donny Donoghue gave a summary of the plan, which has been divided into the three phases aimed at making the downtown shopping area more accessible and walkable, and to encourage people to spend more time in the area.
Surveys taken over the last year by the city and MKSK showed that residents and business owners agreed that priorities for the downtown area should be improved parking and sidewalks, as well as measures to slow down traffic on Harlem and make crossing Harlem easier for pedestrians and cyclists.
The final version of the plan centers on creating more of a hub around the intersection of Harlem and 123rd Street, which could be used in the future as home to a city owned community space.
The proposed Phase I of work would revolve around improving parking and parts of 123rd Street.
Projects included in this phase of the plan would be the expansion and improvement of a public parking lot at 71st Court and 123rd Street, as well as streetscaping improvements along 123rd including sidewalks, additional street parking, and improved landscaping.
The estimated cost of these projects is $7 million–$700,000 for the parking lot, and $6.3 million for the street improvements– according to MKSK, though Weidl noted that all figures in the plan are ballpark figures and subject to change.
Phase I of the plan also calls for improvements to be made for safety in the medians of Harlem, a project which would require coordination with the Illinois Department of Transportation, and is anticipated to cost about $1.5 million.
Future construction projects included in the plan include similar streetscaping and parking creation along 122nd Street and 124th Street, as well as the complete redesign for improved safety of the intersection of Harlem and 123rd Street, and significant landscape and frontage improvements for enhanced greenspace and walkability along Harlem.
Additionally, MKSK recommends the city hire or appoint a downtown plan manager to help coordinate with businesses about improvements to privately owned parking areas, and work with businesses to create a more unified brand for store signage and facades.
According to Weidl and City Clerk Shannon Harvey, the plan is designed to be flexible and would likely be implemented slowly over the course of the next decade, with the first improvements likely to start in the next one to two years.
“We’ve talked about doing something along Harlem for years, but the difference this time is there is finally a funding source,” Harvey said.
The funding for the project is coming from the specially created 1% business district tax, which was implemented in January 2024 for businesses along Harlem from 127th Street to College Drive. Upon its creation, the goal of the tax was to raise about $500,000 in revenue each year for downtown improvements.
The current total estimate of costs for the three phases of capital improvements is $26.9 million, though that is based on 2026 construction costs, and applies to projects expected to take place over multiple years. The adoption of the plan does not involve the commitment of any funds to a specific project at this time.
“The purpose of these plans is to create a roadmap to chart a course forward for the city,” said Weidl. “Ultimately it will manifest in a way and on a schedule that is best for the city.”
