Parking, Trains Are Downtown Elmhurst Issues: Forum

ELMHURST, IL – Parking came up over and over again during a discussion Tuesday on how to improve Elmhurst's downtown.

A city-hired consultant held the first of two forums as part of the work toward creating a new downtown plan, replacing the one from 2016.

The first forum was geared toward downtown businesses and developers. One set for Tuesday evening was designed for the public at large.

In the first meeting, several mentioned the "parklets" downtown. This is where restaurants get permission to use on-street parking for outdoor dining. But this removes downtown's already limited parking, forum participants said.

Others complained about Uber Eats and other delivery vehicles double-parking downtown, an example of an issue that largely did not exist in 2016.

The consultant, Nik Davis, said Elmhurst has more public parking decks than most towns, but conceded many don't know that they're there.

In 2022, the city closed the top level of the parking deck at 149 N. Addison Ave., which is only a few years old. That was the result of criminal activity.

At the meeting, one woman said the north part of downtown – on York Street, from North Avenue to Third Street – is underdeveloped and needed a more modern design.

Others said the city should provide a better way to connect pedestrians to the southwest side of downtown, which includes the public library and Elmhurst University.

Trains were another issue. One resident questioned why Union Pacific trains can't queue up somewhere else besides downtown Elmhurst. Some suggested another rail underpass outside of Robert Palmer Drive.

Davis replied that it was "tricky" to coordinate with railroads on underpasses, but it's good to have a plan with potential locations.

After spending more than an hour's discussion about downtown's issues, Davis asked about its assets.

A man said the Robert Palmer underpass was a positive.

Davis agreed.

"The underpass is a pretty significant asset. It comes with challenges, but the tradeoffs are worth it," Davis said.

Another person said downtown is a "magnet for family activity. Everyone wants to come downtown to go to eat and see a movie."

For those who live close to downtown, a woman said, it has all the essentials for living.

Another person said the cultural hubs of local museums and the university were big advantages.

Davis told the audience that the process of creating a plan is expected to last throughout the year.