Purpose of the Downtown Plan
History of Oswego's Downtown
Oswego is a community that has strong roots, dating back to its early settlement along the Fox River in 1836. The Village was originally a mercantile hub catering to the surrounding farms, and to travelers on the Chicago-Galena Road, which crossed the river via a ford near the mouth of Waubonsee Creek. The area's first transportation routes were Indian trails, one of which became the first Chicago-Galena Road, running west from Chicago to Naperville on what is now U.S. Route 34, crossing the Fox River at Oswego, and continuing west and north. In 1870, Oswego received its own rail link, and by the year 1900, Oswego had become part of the nation's vast inter-urban trolley network.
At the turn of the century, Oswego was home to many retail businesses, including grocery stores, meat markets, barber shops, a black-smith shop, furniture shops, a cheese factory, paint shop, feed mills, and miscellaneous retailers, including jewelry stores, real estate business, banks and a shoemaker. Through the 1970's, downtown Oswego remained the location of many retail businesses, including multiple grocery stores, a hardware store, automobile dealerships, and other stores offering "necessity"retail items. Competition for these stores began at the turn of the century, when a trolley line between downtown Oswego and downtown Aurora allowed Oswego residents to easily shop in Aurora. The departure of necessity shopping has been gradual, but continuous.
Why Plan for the Downtown?
Downtown Oswego is the original heart of the Village. This is the one area in the Village that makes Oswego distinctly different from other communities. It is a place to spend family time, and to entertain friends and business colleagues.
Also, the downtown is the center of community functions which are vital to the overall Village. The concentration of activities in Oswego's downtown reinforces community identity and civic pride. Downtown buildings and spaces reflect the history of Oswego, thereby teaching its lessons and linking the present with the past and future.
At the present time, many community shopping needs are not locally met. Retail sales in the village is under-represented in general merchandise; eating and drinking establish-ments; apparel; furniture; electronics; and appliances.
Since 1990, the population of Oswego has more than doubled. However, Oswego's businesses compete for customers in nearby regional malls, and shoppers are drawn to the Galena/Orchard Road area in Aurora, the Countryside Center in Yorkville, the Randall Road corridor, and the downtown districts of Geneva, Batavia, and St. Charles.
A recent survey, sponsored by the Oswego Economic Development Corporation (OEDC), found that many of Oswego's residents thought there should be:
More diversity in businesses, including a need for restaurants and apparel stores
- Increased hours of operation
- Facade improvements
- Better lighting
- Safer pedestrian and vehicular access
- More parking
- More landscaping
- Improved property maintenance
- Better advertising
Downtown Oswego suffers, in varying degrees, from problems that are typical of similar older downtown areas. However, the downtown also represents an unrealized potential to enhance the quality of life for those who live, work and travel in the area.
Creating a Vision for the Future
In November of 1997 the OEDC asked the Village Board to undertake a comprehensive planning process that recognized downtown Oswego as an integral part of the Village's identity that warrants preservation and enhancement. Accordingly, a technical planning team composed of local professionals with experience in downtown planning was appointed by the Village President, Bud Bieber, to address concerns related to the future of downtown Oswego. The technical committee consisted of representatives of the Oswegoland Park District, the Oswego Economic Development Corporation; the director of public works; and a Village Trustee.
Under the direction of the Village Board, the Downtown Technical Committee prepared a request for proposal for consulting services. It also established a Citizens' Advisory Com-mittee to work with the Technical Committee to prepare a comprehensive downtown plan for Oswego that addressed land use, transportation links, parking, historic architecture, markets, financing and implementation. The Citizens' Advisory Committee consisted of the Village President, and representatives of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, public library, and citizens-at-large.
Planning Resources Inc. of Wheaton, Illinois, in association with Real Estate Planning Group of Chicago, was ultimately selected by the Village Board to work with the Advisory Committees to create a vision for the down-town and to build consensus for a plan that would revitalize downtown Oswego.
The plan is intended to be a long-term guide for the future; it does not promote the acquisition of individual properties.
Instead, the Comprehensive Plan prepared for Oswego provides a framework for decision-making once a property becomes available for redevelopment or adaptive reuse.
The nine-month planning process included five meetings with the Technical and Citizens' Advisory Committees, key person interviews, and an open house in September of 1998. The open house, attended by more than 100 people, was held for the sole purpose of soliciting feedback on the draft plan. Comments provided by attendees were integrated into the plan, before being presented to the Village Board for adoption.
Mission Statement
During the first three months of the project, the Technical and Citizens' Advisory Committees gathered data and worked toward creating a mission statement for the downtown, that would set the direction for the plan:
To create and maintain downtown Oswego:
- As the center of community life;
- With a diversity of goods, services and activities;
- With economically viable businesses;
- Which has a uniquely Oswego character and identity (history, structures, river); and
- Which is pedestrian friendly.
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