The Village of Winnetka is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to create a new comprehensive plan for the Village, which plan would establish a vision for the future of the community and provide a roadmap as to how to achieve that vision over 15 to 20 years. The Village last adopted a comprehensive plan in 1999.

Picturesquely situated on the shore of Lake Michigan, just 16 miles north of Chicago, Winnetka is made up of tranquil tree-shaded streets and family-oriented neighborhoods, as well as three quaint in-town business districts that are home to a variety of shops and businesses. Winnetka, chartered in 1869 and currently celebrating its sesquicentennial, is home to approximately 12,400 residents, with a household median income of approximately $216,000. It adopted its first comprehensive plan in 1921 which was written by Edward H. Bennett, who also co-authored the 1909 Plan of Chicago with Daniel Burnham. Winnetka is 3.9 square miles in size; approximately 5% of the land area is located in the business districts.

With respect to its commercial activity, the Village is comprised of three separate business districts – Elm Street Business District, Hubbard Woods Business District, and Indian Hill Business District. All three districts are connected by Green Bay Road which is a state-owned and regulated arterial road. Each district is also served by a Metra rail stop along the Union Pacific North line. As the local commercial areas continue to evolve and respond to the changing retail market, the Village continues to experience the reuse of existing retails spaces with other uses.

Winnetka’s residential areas are predominately single family residential, which makes up 86% of the housing stock. The Village has experienced a significant amount of residential teardowns being replaced with significantly larger homes. The community’s multi-family residential housing is predominately located within or nearby the commercial cores or along the Green Bay Road corridor.

The full RFP packet can be found at https://www.villageofwinnetka.org/departments/finance/bid-and-proposal-opportunities/.

Responses are due, Friday, August 23, 2019, by 5 PM. For more information, please contact David Schoon, Community Development Director, at 847-716-3526 or dschoon@winnetka.org.