Project Overview

Renew the Avenue will replace 100-plus year-old infrastructure with new water and sewer pipes for both businesses and residents in the Hemingway District:

  • Water main  replacement will be made mainly between Ontario Street and South Boulevard.

  • Sewer work will span from Ontario Street south to Randolph Street.

  • Following these necessary infrastructure repairs and upgrades, new streetscaping between Ontario Street and Pleasant Street will bring renewed energy and vibrancy to the area.

Project overview

Project History

  1. Design began in early 2023 with five Steering Committee meetings as well as in-person and virtual open houses. 

  2. A final schematic design was presented to the Village Board in fall 2023 and was approved to move to the next phase.

  3. The design process ran through summer 2024 and included a June 25 public open house at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake Street. Questions were addressed and an updated streetscape design was presented.  See the presentation.

  4. In 2025, the Village offered businesses matching grants to upgrade exterior façades, interior spaces, and to assist with marketing. The grant program was extended through December 2026, after the Village Board voted to postpone project construction to 2026. The Village then reworked and issued a second request for construction bids. 

  5. On November 11, 2025, the Oak Park Village Board awarded the $18.5M project to A Lamp Concrete Contractors, Inc., following a competitive bidding process.  Construction is currently anticipated to begin in early 2026 and be substantially complete by Thanksgiving 2026.

  6. On January 14, 2026, the Renew the Avenue project team announced an earlier-than-planned launch of the construction project at the Oak Park Township Building, 130 S. Oak Park Ave. Questions were addressed and an overview of the project phases was provided. See the presentation.