City of West Chicago, Illinois

Where History and Progress Meet

Make A Payment

Mayor Pineda Provides 2023 State of the City Address

By

#image_title

Mayor Ruben Pineda expressed that the state of the City is "as strong as ever" as he drew comparisons of the City's current status to that of a "high-powered and laser focused locomotive" during his State of the City Address on Monday, May 15.

During the Address, Mayor Pineda shared highlights about the City’s infrastructure, local economy, status of the City’s workforce, and community highlights including updates on public safety, communications, and upcoming special projects.

Notable highlights from the Address included the following.

  • The City has completed over $4.7 million dollars in infrastructure projects in 2022, and has budgeted approximately $9.2 million dollars towards additional capital improvement projects and programs for 2023.
  • The City has seen the private investment of $95 million dollars in new construction investment for 2022 and an additional $66 million in 2023 thus far.
  • DuPage County will be funding a $20 million dollar project that will reconstruct and widen Fabyan Parkway to four lanes from IL-38 to the Kane County line.
  • The City welcomed 64 new businesses that employ a total of 427 individuals in 2022.
  • The City as an organization of 116 employees is almost fully staffed.
  • West Chicago was ranked the ninth best place to live for families by Fortune Magazine
  • The City’s digital communications have seen a significant increase in usage by residents.
  • The City’s Police Department is almost fully staffed and has experience numerous promotions within its ranks.
  • Healthy West Chicago was the recipient of the 2022 National Forum for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Public Policy Award
  • The City is in the process of planning a new park at the former Kerr Mcgee site along Weyrauch Street through a $2 million Federal grant.
  • The City is in the process of transforming the Sesquicentennial Park into a new floral grounds with creations from Ball Horticultural

In addition to the above highlights presented during the Address, Mayor Pineda also highlighted the resurgence of interest in the downtown area, continued development in the DuPage Business Center, the return of multiple community events, and other positive City and community achievements.

As he closed, Mayor Pineda stated, “The City is on its way to great things, and [the City] has the solid infrastructure and economy, along with an amazing workforce and community to ensure that we can go wherever we want to go.”

The City would like to thank the Western DuPage Chamber of Commerce for assisting with organizing the event and would also like to thank all of the City’s community partners for attending.

View the full State of the City Address transcript on the City’s website.

Business Community Update: April 2023

By

#image_title

The City of West Chicago welcomed the following new businesses to the community in April 2023.

  • Bingham Flexo Services, Inc has moved into the Roosevelt Center at 245 W. Roosevelt Road. The company specializes in flexography and provides flexible packaging, coating and laminating, and corrugated packaging.
  • Invisible Fence Brand has moved into the Roosevelt Center located at 245 W. Roosevelt Road. The company provides sales and service for in-ground pet containment systems.
  • Mech-Mind Ltd has expanded its locations to 1092 Carolina Drive. The company designs and manufactures cameras and AI-powered software for robotics to automate industrial tasks.

Business Community Update: March 2023

By

#image_title

The City of West Chicago welcomed the following new businesses to the community in March.

  • Vanguard Logistics (USA) Inc. is located at 537 Discovery Drive, Suite 100, and is a leading LCL logistics company with clients and locations throughout the globe.
  • Precision Polish Auto Detail is located at 1092 Carolina Drive, Unit 3, and offers several premium luxury vehicle protection services and packages.
  • Mosquito Joe is located is at 245 W. Roosevelt Road, Building 11, Unit 75, and provides outdoor pest control services to clients and locations throughout the country.
  • Cilantro Taco Grill is located at 280 W North Avenue, and has multiple locations throughout the Chicagoland area where is offers authentic Mexican cuisine at its locations while also offering catering options.
  • The Whistle Stop located is located at 108 Galena Street in the downtown area, and is a retailer that offers a variety of vintage clothing and accessories.

April 20 Marks 31-Year Anniversary of Killing of West Chicago Police Officer

By

Photo of police memorial wall display at West Chicago City Hall

Thursday, April 20, 2023 marked the 31-year anniversary of the killing of West Chicago Police Department’s Michael A. Browning.

On Monday, April 20, 1992, Patrolman Browning was killed after responding to a burglary at an automobile dealership. After exiting his patrol car and drawing his weapon, the suspect drove through the dealership’s showroom in a stolen vehicle and struck Browning.

Browning had served as an officer with the West Chicago Police Department for only five months. Prior to being sworn in as an officer he had served as a cadet for two years.

The City remembers Patrolman Browning’s sacrifice through a decorative memorial installed in his, and other Officers, honor. The memorial is on public display within the West Chicago Police Department’s lobby, where it is viewed daily by fellow Officers and the public, and serves as a meaningful reminder of the sacrifices that are made by Police Officers to keep our communities safe.

Details were provided on the Officer Down Memorial website at ODMP.org.

City of West Chicago Awarded Urban Forestry Funding

By

West Chicago Urban Forestry

The City of West Chicago was awarded a $25,000 grant to complete tree inventories and develop a management plan for its urban forest.

The funds were provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Urban and Community Forestry Partner Grant Program, and are administered by The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI).

“The City of West Chicago is thrilled to be awarded these grant funds to complete a comprehensive tree inventory,” said West Chicago City Administrator Michael Guttman. “Trees play a significant role in our daily lives and are vital assets of this community. The funding will help protect one of the most critical infrastructure of the City.”

The City plans to utilize the grant funds to complete a Citywide parkway tree inventory in its Geographic Information System (GIS) as well as to prepare an Urban Forestry Management Plan.

The inventory will provide the City with a better understanding of the urban forest areas it is managing by revealing an estimated number of trees, their size, condition and species. The inventories will also identify opportunities to increase planting, and will inform the development of a comprehensive, long-term urban forest management plan.

Original Press Release