The Village of Glenview

Downtown Glenview Revitalization


​The revitalization of Downtown Glenview was identified as a top priority during the Glenview Connect process, when the Village held a series of open houses, community meetings and events to gather input on the future of its​ Downtown District.


The Downtown District, the Village’s historic commercial center, is separated into two distinct zones based on character and physical location. The first is oriented north/ south on Waukegan Road and the second is oriented east-west on Glenview Road. The nexus of this “L” shaped configuration is the intersection of Waukegan and Glenview Roads.

The Waukegan Road section of the District is bound by East Lake Avenue to the north and Henley Street to the south. As a regional arterial, Waukegan Road includes wide street section and a roadway designed for efficient automobile movement. This creates a physical separation between buildings and parcels and decreases area devoted to sidewalks and pedestrian amenities.

Glenview Road, bound by Washington Street to the west and the intersection of Glenview and Waukegan to the east, is a smaller, more intimate street that allows for a compact, village-scaled street configuration. Glenview Road is bifurcated by the West Fork North Branch of the Chicago River and the METRA North Line, interrupting the continuity of the street. The characteristics of the streets are a significant driver to the difference in character and the “L” shaped configuration limits connectivity between the two zones.  

Downtown’s historic role as the Village’s commercial “heart” has eroded over the years, but its historic configuration and the will of the community to strengthen the district will create opportunities to improve Downtown’s standing a central activity hub within the Village.

On Aug. 3, 2021, the Village Board adopted the Economic Development Plan and Downtown Strategic Plan. With the Plans adopted, Village staff has been working with the Village Board to prioritize recommendations, identifying those that have potential for implementation in the short term vs. longer term and evaluate the fiscal impacts of various opportunities.​



History of downtown Glenview revitalization planning

The Village Board committed to downtown Glenview revitalization in January 2004, when it formed a committee to come up with a definitive and comprehensive master plan. A vision of a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly downtown, the Downtown Revitalization Plan, was adopted in June 2006.

Glenview's downtown utilizes a different approach than traditional zoning codes, which focus on very specific property uses. The Form-Based Code, adopted in June 2008, focuses more on the look, feel and form of the types of buildings that will be constructed within the downtown and how these buildings will relate to each other and to surrounding properties.

Copies are available at Village Hall, 2500 East Lake Avenue, or by calling (847) 904-4330.

Just as everything was put in place, the recession of 2008 froze the potential for downtown revitalization. In 2011, Glenview began to see movement in downtown redevelopment.

In September 2011, the Village Board of Trustees hired U.S. Equities LLC as a development advisor to assist with recommendations related to creating market-based, executable redevelopment strategies for downtown Glenview. The focus was on Village-owned properties in the downtown district (the former Dominick's at 1020 Waukegan Road; Village Hall at 1225 Waukegan Road; and Fire Station 6 at 1815 Glenview Road).

U.S. Equities discussed its findings at Village Board of Trustees workshops on March 6, 2012 and April 25, 2012. On May 22, 2012, the Village Board directed that a text amendment to the Village Code revise the uses permitted in the downtown area.

Allowable uses in the downtown district

The Village Board of Trustees on March 19, 2013 approved a text amendment to the Municipal Code that expanded permissible uses on the first floor of buildings along Glenview Road and along Waukegan Road from Glenview Road to Grove Street in the Downtown Development District. The changes were designed to further support the Downtown Master Plan's vision of a walkable, pedestrian-friendly district.

The new permitted uses included: yoga/pilates/personal training; health and fitness clubs; indoor recreation; health and beauty services; laundry/dry cleaning/tailoring; music and dance schools; art and photo studios; print and copy shops; education/tutoring; day care; and physical therapy/chiropractors.