Naperville Gets Peek At 5th Avenue Baseline Concept

NAPERVILLE, IL — Naperville residents got their first peek at a design concept for 5th Avenue Tuesday. The plans, designed by Ryan Companies, focus heavily on sustainability, diversity, and connectivity to create a "community hub" for residents, according to the initial design concept.

The ultimate goal is to make Naperville one of the first WELL communities in Illinois and throughout the U.S. To become a WELL-certified community, Naperville must implement sustainable elements to help improve the air, nourishment, water, thermal comfort, and community of the city.

Before working on the design concept, Ryan Companies took several factors into consideration at the direction of Naperville city officials. Among the goals was to have a greater amount of green space and public space, add a pedestrian tunnel, and ensure that 20 percent of housing was affordable.

A "Transit-Oriented Community"

The baseline concept is tailored for a "transit-oriented community" and aims to nurture "sustainability and community wellness" through open green spaces and pedestrian-friendly amenities, the baseline concept documents state.

To this end, the current baseline concept would include roughly 1,934 commuter parking spaces, 43,000 square feet of public green space, and a total of 30,000 square feet of health and wellness space.

The baseline concept shows an increase in parking spaces and green space when compared to the original concept.

Affordable Housing Options

The baseline concept excludes condo units and calls for an increase in affordable housing units. There will also be the addition of workforce units and row homes if the city carries out the design.

Community And Green Spaces

Ryan Companies hopes to tailor Naperville's 5th Avenue to be a place where community members can gather throughout the year. An outdoor ice skating rink will provide a place to gather and have fun in winter and an interactive water feature will do the same in summer.

In total, the baseline concept proposes 114,000 square feet of public and green spaces. These would include "sculptural seating," rain garden plantings, terraces with WiFi seating, and idyllic landscaping.

Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety is one of the top priorities of the baseline concept. The plans include building an improved pedestrian tunnel near Ellsworth and enhancing pedestrian safety by adding a public park and relocating a number of commuter parking spaces.

Pedestrian routes along the train tracks, for instance, would be enhanced to improve pedestrian safety.

Commuter-Friendly Hub

The addition of commuter parking stalls is one way the 5th Avenue project would make the area more commuter friendly. Under the current concept, parking spaces would decrease in some parts of the area and increase in others.

The concept adds a total of more than 250 parking stalls, with the greatest increase impacting the area near the Water Tower Lot and parking at DuPage Children's Museum.

Cost

With the new baseline concept, Ryan Properties estimates a cost of over $287 million. Previously, the price tag hovered around $345 million.

What's Next

Naperville plans to continue gathering feedback from residents and will hold a steering committee meeting on Sept. 23. City Council will review the concept on Oct. 1.