Glencoe Wins American Public Works Association Award For Tudor Court

GLENCOE, IL — The multi-year project to improve Tudor Court in downtown Glencoe has been honored by the American Public Works Association, village officials announced.

The suburban branch of the Chicago metropolitan area chapter of the association awarded the village's Tudor Court Street and Streetscape Improvement Project the Public Works Project of the Year Award for transportation projects with budgets below $5 million.

Public Works Director Dave Mau, Village Engineer James Tigue and other village staff worked with design engineering firm Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick and urban planning consultancy Teska Associates.

Tudor Court began as an alleyway providing access to the rear of businesses along Park Avenue. Over time, more businesses and institutions were established along Tudor Court, which now is home to the Writers Theater and Friends Park.

But pavement on the road and sidewalk were in poor condition before the streetscape improvement project.

In 2016, at the culmination of a three-year "public visioning process," village officials adopted a plan called Downtown Tune-Up, which sought to enhance infrastructure and add a "a strong sense of place.”

The plan specifically recommended the consideration of special “special environment streetscape treatments to enhance the primary retail core area and the special nature of the ‘arts core’ emerging on Tudor Court," according to village representatives.

Village trustees issued $1.5 million in limited tax obligation bonds in September 2019 to finance the project.

The Tudor Court project is scheduled to be recognized at an awards banquet on Jan. 25 at Maggiano's Little Italy in Schaumburg.