West Chicago continues to live up to its reputation as a premier place to live for families, having once again been recognized and included on Fortune Magazine’s list of Best Places to Live for Families. This accolade, combined with the many milestones achieved over the past year, demonstrates the City's ongoing commitment to ensuring a vibrant and prosperous future for West Chicagoans.
Looking ahead, the initiatives outlined in the City’s 2025 Budget focus investments toward revitalizing downtown, improving service delivery, and ensuring the ongoing vitality that makes West Chicago a great community. This year’s priorities support key goals outlined in the City’s Strategic Plan and Comprehensive Plan that were created through extensive public input and include:
Downtown Revitalization
In 2025, downtown West Chicago will remain a focal point for revitalization, driving growth, improving residents’ quality of life, and shaping the City’s future for generations to come.
Property Investment Incentives: City-funded grant programs, including the Downtown Investment Program and Retail & Restaurant Grant Program, will provide property and business owners with opportunities to complete renovations and improvements, incentivizing private investment and attracting new businesses.
Redevelopment Opportunities: Continued demolition of City-owned properties will create space for new development, fostering future growth and economic opportunity in the downtown area as outlined in the Central-Main Street Redevelopment Plan.
New City Hall Campus Design: Design efforts continue for a potential new City Hall campus on Washington Street, which is part of a larger economic development effort including a new public gathering space. In preparation for future construction, additional remediation efforts* will commence on the City-owned property in and around 119 W. Washington Street. Partial demolition and repair work* will also begin at the historic Washington Street Depot to prepare for its future renovation and eventual re-use.
Service Delivery Improvements
The City will continue its efforts towards improving operational efficiency, ensuring that services are safely and effectively delivered.
Introduction of Online Building Permits: A new online platform will offer a streamlined permit process that can be managed digitally, allowing contractors and property owners to more efficiently manage and complete construction projects.
Lead Service Line Replacement: The City is proactively addressing the replacement of lead service lines as part of the West Chicago Lead Service Line Replacement Plan approved in 2024. As the primary determinant of the project timeline, including the construction start, the City is seeking long-term loans with an estimated 0% interest rate and potential for principal forgiveness from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Upon securing funding, the City anticipates beginning construction as early as summer 2026 with work to be completed over three years, significantly sooner than required by law.
Strengthen Public Safety Engagement: The launch of a new resident engagement program, Tip411, will improve communication between the community and West Chicago Police Department personnel. This platform will enable residents to digitally submit anonymous tips and receive important public safety alerts directly to their mobile devices.
Enhanced Quality of Life
The City remains dedicated to ensuring that West Chicago remains a vibrant, healthy place to live, work, and play.
Enriching Outdoor Spaces: Site work will begin in 2025 for the portion of the new community park at the southwest corner of Ann and Factory Streets, located adjacent to West Chicago Community High School’s offsite parking lot. Additionally, efforts to improve West Chicago’s tree canopy continue through a new Fall Tree Planting Program.*
Preserving West Chicago’s History: A visual survey will be conducted to identify properties for potential landmark and district designation, allowing for the preservation of the City’s rich history for future generations. Additionally, ongoing improvements will be made to Glen Oak Cemetery and Oakwood Cemetery.
Investing in Infrastructure: A $14.5 million capital improvement budget will fund key projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure. Notable projects include the reconstruction of Town Road*, Bishop/Brown Streets*, and Nuclear/Northwest Drives*, as well as the installation of a new traffic signal at IL-38 and Technology Boulevard *.
While the highlights summarize key priorities, the full FY 2025 Budget, which was approved during the West Chicago City Council meeting on December 2, 2024, is available for review on the City’s website.
* This project is partially or fully funded by grants. In total, the City secured $4,840,000 in grant funding for highlighted projects.