A consulting firm designing an outdoor event space for downtown East Dundee is recommending a portion of Railroad Street be closed off and Meier Street be turned into a two-lane road to maximize space.
Closing Railroad Street “creates a more cohesive area,” said Patti King, a landscape architect with Wight & Co. “It certainly increases our pedestrian safety, which is important, and actually gives a little more space to the whole area.”
King said the firm also recommends turning Meier Street into a two-way street to make navigating the downtown area easier.
Wight & Co. presented its design to the East Dundee Village Board Monday night. The board hired the company to create a concept design for an amount not to exceed $27,500.
East Dundee wants to turn what’s been known as the “gravel lot” into a sound stage and civic park. The village purchased the property, located between Railroad and Hill streets, for $266,000 using Tax Increment Financing district funds earlier this year.
Village officials have called the property a “centerpiece” that’s perfect for a sound stage and park.
The sound stage would be a permanent structure on the property’s southern border set up at an angle. This location “allows the natural contour of the site to act as lawn seating,” King said.
An area would be sectioned off in front of the stage with specialty paving for a dance floor or mosh pit, she said. The rest of the area, all the way to The Depot, would be lawn seating and green space.
Wight & Co.’s design features a pavilion or gazebo, an area near The Depot for a food truck, oversized games, flexible seating, artwork, and a splashpad or playground. Lighting would create an inviting atmosphere, King said, and there would be space for a movie screen.
Along the west side of the property, a gateway would be built linking the park to the future Heritage Station development on the former Doederlein Lumberyard property, which will include a performing arts center.
A gateway sign “was a natural connection with that development. We wanted to make sure we were embracing it as well,” King said.
A low ornamental fence or wall is recommended along the Fox River Trail to provide access points yet offer some control over pedestrian and bike traffic. The trail passes through the site.
Trustee Andy Sauder said he liked the design and recommended adding elements of train rails to the design to help tie the space together.
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The village will needs to work with Duke’s Blues n BBQ to figure out where it will relocate. The restaurant operates out of a caboose parked on the gravel lot.
Village Manager Erika Storlie said owner Terrance “Duke” Seward is aware of East Dundee’s plan.
“Our goal is to get Duke’s in a permanent space,” Storlie said.
Storlie said the first phase is determining whether the board likes the design and whether it should move ahead with a sound stage. The rest of the design would be executed over several years, she said.
East Dundee also needs to get a cost estimate for the plan and settle on a final design. The goal is to build the stage by next year, officials said.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.