Palatine Downtown Transit-Oriented Development Plan
Client
Regional Transportation Authority
Location
Palatine, IL
The Village of Palatine is today a successful TOD community with a vibrant downtown, well-attended community events, a broad mix of housing types, and successful local businesses that draw customers from throughout the northwest suburbs. To facilitate a new Downtown planning study, the Village received a 2015 Community Planning Program Grant from the RTA, and worked with the SCB planning group to create a Downtown Transit Oriented Development Plan (TOD Plan) for the area surrounding the Metra station.
The Palatine Metra station is one of the busiest commuter train stations in the Metra system, with a growing population of traditional and non-traditional / reverse commuters. However, like many other suburban communities, Palatine has yet to return to pre-recession development levels, and has several large-scale redevelopment sites available in key locations Downtown. The TOD Plan process provided the opportunity to expand on past Village planning efforts, re-evaluate past policies, and establish an updated vision for the future of Downtown.
Key Plan goals were to:
- Expand the visibility of Downtown to attract new visitors and investment to Downtown Palatine.
- Identify opportunities for future infill development in close proximity to the Metra station.
- Expand and diversify Downtown residential to provide more housing options for growing population sectors.
- Leverage the compact, walkable layout, and convenience of the Palatine’s Metra station to attract new employers commercial businesses to Downtown.
- Encourage more commuters to walk and bike to the Metra station to reduce traffic congestion and parking needs in Downtown.
The TOD market analysis identified a growing need for new housing in the Village including, new multi-family rental units, townhomes of various price-ranges, and a limited amount of condominiums. The TOD Plan identifies strategies for accommodating this population growth, while maintaining the many positive characteristics of the community. The ideas and recommendations of the TOD Plan include development concepts, and strategic policy and zoning changes to ensure that future Village growth is aligned with the real estate market demands, existing historic character, and long term goals of the community.
