Copyright Chicago Tribune
Drive up Cicero Avenue in Oak Forest, and you’ll see construction underway. The city is pushing ahead on the redevelopment of Cicero Avenue, which is one of the town’s main commercial corridors and hosts its Metra stop. The most recent project to break ground is a senior housing complex called Carefree Village, which began construction Sep. 23. Also actively under construction is a development called Waverly Creek, which will mix commercial space along the road with town houses further back. Waverly Creek is being built on a plot formerly occupied by an Ace Hardware, vacant since 2009. Part of the commercial space will be occupied by a Midwest Express Clinic, while the city is still seeking tenants for the remaining space. Paul Ruane, assistant director of community and economic development, said the city worked to acquire vacant properties. “The city has done a good job in the past to acquire properties that are derelict, you know, they’ve become safety issues,” Ruane said. “Purchased the property, or got it from a tax sale or acquired it through liens, whatever way possible, cause all of those cases, the owner of the property has basically walked away and has kinda wiped their hands clean of it.” One project already completed is One Fifty Seven Oak Forest, a mixed-use development at the corner of Cicero Avenue and 157th Street, which has a coffee shop on the ground floor and housing above. “That’s kind of been the kickoff,” said Ruane. “What exactly is the Cicero Avenue of tomorrow?” The developer behind both Waverly Creek and One Fifty Seven Oak Forest is EM8 Properties. Botan Alagoz, a marketing associate for EM8 Properties, said the firm focuses on suburban revitalization projects. “We’re heavily invested in Oak Forest, and the future of Oak Forest,” Alagoz said. One vacant property along the corridor the city doesn’t own is the former Oak Forest Bowl, which burned down in May 2023. The site is a cleared lot for sale by the former owner after tentative plans to rebuild fell apart, partially due to insurance issues. Ruane said although the city doesn’t own the Oak Forest Bowl property, it has a strong interest in seeing the lot developed. “The City Council probably has a feeling in the back of their mind they would love to have something else there that would be, you know, a driver of the area, something that attracts people from out of town. Doesn’t necessarily mean that’s what they’re going to hold out for,” Ruane said. “I think they all see the fact that there’s kind of a big missing piece there.” The Cicero Avenue revitalization project has its roots in the city’s comprehensive plan, passed in February 2008. “I think there was a lot of ideas for Cicero to be some kind of entertainment district and kind of feeling like a downtown feel,” Ruane said. While that concept is still popular with some people, he said, “I think some others understand that there’s somewhere in between that we might end up.” Shortly after the city approved the plan, the 2008 financial crisis hit. Consequently, development was stalled for years with momentum only recently picking up again. “We’ve talked about our comprehensive plan since 2008, but in the last five years we’ve made more progress than in the last 20,” Ruane said. One major element of the city’s strategy to attract business and developer interest is more relaxed zoning restrictions, including allowing mixed-use development by right so long as the ground floor is used for commercial purposes. By-right approval means that so long as a project conforms to the city’s relevant building codes and other requirements, special discretionary review and permits are not required. “It’s to continue to cut through red tape, continue to try to make things easy as possible,” Ruane said. “We may not be the first one on your mind, but we might be the easiest and best people to work with.” Alagoz emphasized the projects as partnerships between the developer and the city. “This is a two-way street. The city, as long as they’re willing and helpful to the developer, I think it works out when both parties are working together, which has been the case in Oak Forest,” Alagoz said. elewis@chicagotribune.com
