Winfield schedules public hearing on Town Center redevelopment

Winfield residents will soon get their first look at plans for a massive redevelopment of the village's downtown.

Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital wants to transform part of Town Center south of its campus into a medical and commercial district. And to the west of the 392-bed hospital, a parking deck is planned to alleviate parking problems at CDH.

Next week, the plan and zoning commission will hold a public hearing on the much-anticipated project.

"I am certainly thrilled that the project is moving to its next phase," Village President Erik Spande said Thursday. "I also look forward to getting public input on some of the designs. What we say now will shape the look and the feel of our Town Center for many decades to come."

The public hearing is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the banquet tent at Klein Creek Golf Club in Winfield.

CDH and the village are listed as the project applicants. They are seeking approvals for planned unit developments, rezoning of certain land, a special-use permit, and "any other approvals and zoning relief that may be necessary to authorize and allow the project."

If approved, the plan is to do the project in phases.

"Phase 1A" of the project, which would start this fall, includes construction of the parking deck and a pedestrian bridge over Winfield Road linking the structure to the main campus. In the parking structure, ground floor space would be set aside for retail/restaurant use. The phase also includes construction of a portion of the Riverwalk Park.

In addition, a roughly 200-space parking lot would be built just east of Church Street.

Six months after starting construction on the parking deck, CDH would like to begin work on "Phase 1B." That would include construction of a three-story, mixed-use building - with commercial/retail use on the ground floor and medical/office space on the upper two floors - near the corner of Jewell Road and Church.

There are also plans for two stand-alone, single-story buildings for retail, restaurant or commercial use.

Spande said "Phase 1B" will be "the anchor" of the Town Center redevelopment.

Meanwhile, "Phase 1C" calls for a public plaza and two single-story buildings for retail, restaurant or commercial use to be built on the existing village hall site. The village hall, which also houses the police station, would be torn down and relocated.