Phase I of the Homer Glen Town Center Visioning is complete. Check out the Engagement Summary to learn more about what we heard!

Homer Glen wants a place – a center where residents can gather, enjoy a sense of community, and support local businesses. The Village of Homer Glen has engaged The Lakota Group, an urban planning and design firm based in Chicago, to embark on the visioning process with residents for a new town center.

Homer Glen has transitioned from an agricultural community to a suburb over the last 20 years. Unlike other communities, growth did not occur around a train station or a traditional downtown. Retail amenities are mostly located in shopping centers or big-box developments relying on auto use for access. Homer Glen seeks to define its own niche and retain its unique character in planning for the future.

The Homer Glen Town Center Visioning process will identify the best locations and concepts for a new town center through extensive engagement of residents and key stakeholders and a critical assessment of the market and development feasibility. The final plan will capture the community’s overall vision for a new town center and provide the Village with a roadmap to developing the right place for Homer Glen.

Goals for the Homer Glen Town Center Visioning:

• Craft a robust outreach program to engage a wide range of stakeholders and residents to ensure the town center vision reflects the community’s desires.
• Identify who the town center will serve – a regional market or a local market – and what components make up a town center.
• Determine the location options, scale, architectural feel, and development scenarios with the greatest likelihood of market and financial success.
• Develop a clear path forward with strategies, budgeting, and phasing to achieve the overall vision.

We want to hear from you! Central to our process is the engagement of the Homer Glen community in visioning its future center.

Your thoughts, ideas, and opinions are important to us. There will be many opportunities for you to participate throughout the process, including focus groups, online surveys, community workshops, and open houses.

Sign up through the registration pop-up on this page or the contact section below to receive project update emails and information about upcoming opportunities to stay involved!

Phase 1 – Engage & Assess (February 2023 – May 2023)

The focus of Phase 1 is to establish a dynamic planning process that involves community stakeholders, residents, business leaders, developers, Village elected leaders, and Village staff. The goal is to understand what Homer Glen residents want and to evaluate the conditions of potential development sites. The information and maps produced during this phase will define each site’s constraints, weaknesses, strengths, and opportunities.

Phase 2 – Market Assessments (June 2023 – August 2023)

During this phase, the Team will conduct in-depth market research on each of the proposed new town center use components. The phase will culminate with the creation of a Market Assessment and Strategy Report to provide analysis and direction for new town center concept development.

Phase 3 – Concept Development & Plan (September 2023 – March 2024)

In Phase 3, the Team will envision the proposed development through concept plans and renderings for the new town center. The concepts will include massing and scale, retail mix, commercial and housing strategies, and phasing opportunities. Development strategies will support the final concept plans to spur development of Homer Glen’s New Town Center.