See Where La Grange Plans To Study Parking

LA GRANGE, IL – With the renovated movie theater opening soon, La Grange plans to conduct a study about how to improve parking downtown.

On Monday, the Village Board is expected to vote on a contract with a consultant to analyze the parking situation.

According to a village memo last week, the village has about 1,300 parking spaces downtown. It last conducted a downtown parking study in 2003, which recommended a new parking structure.

This study, however, is set to go beyond downtown. It is slated to include the West End and residential areas near train stations and the high school, the memo said.

"These areas require the balancing of the often competing needs of residents, visitors, students, commuters and employees," the memo said.

The village received proposals from five consultants, ranging from $55,000 to $132,000, all of which exceed the village's $50,000 budget. The village staff is recommending Sam Schwartz, who plans to team up with Desman, a consulting firm. His proposal was for $84,000.

In recent meetings, the owner of The Elm restaurant has expressed concern about how the expected opening of La Grange Theatre would affect parking.