Downtown Vision Plan
Lake Villa, Illinois
Nestled between two pristine lakes—Cedar Lake and Deep Lake—Lake Villa offers a unique blend of natural beauty, open spaces, and economic opportunity. The community is home to over 390 businesses employing more than 4,100 people and features multiple shopping districts and commercial corridors, including the Downtown Business District, Crossings Plaza, Villa Plaza, Cencula Plaza, Lake Tower Crossing, and the Grand Avenue Corporate Corridor.
With several opportunity sites available for redevelopment, the Village of Lake Villa has taken strategic steps to spur revitalization, particularly in its downtown. This includes acquiring a vacant parcel in the heart of downtown for a catalytic mixed-use development and establishing a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to provide financial support for transformative projects. Community priorities also included enhancing the downtown park and strengthening collaboration among local businesses.
From September 2024 to February 2025, Better City led the creation of the Downtown Vision Plan in partnership with urban design firm Teska Associates. The process engaged 25 stakeholders through interviews and gathered feedback from 275 community members via surveys and online comments. Key topics explored included downtown character and aesthetics, walkability, parking, desired businesses, events and activation, visibility and draw, and support for existing businesses. Teska Associates contributed detailed maps and diagrams to illustrate the community’s vision.
The Downtown Vision Plan outlines a path forward for revitalization, focusing on:
Visual Identity
Street Reconfiguration
Parking & Wayfinding
Business Recruitment
Downtown Community Events
It also identifies targeted site developments to catalyze investment, including the 209 Mixed-Use Development, improvements to Lehmann Park, and enhancements to the Railroad Avenue–Lake Avenue crossing. Together, these efforts aim to create a vibrant, accessible, and thriving downtown that reflects Lake Villa’s unique character and natural assets.
Better City’s work with Lake Villa does not end with the completion of the Downtown Vision Plan. The firm continues to partner with the Village to advance commercial development, attract new businesses, and provide ongoing support to local enterprises as they expand. This includes facilitating the Lake Villa Business Association, bringing together local business owners to foster collaboration, share resources, and support one another’s success.