 |
THE HEART OF THE FOX The City of McHenry, situated along
the Fox River and 10 miles from the Wisconsin border, is a vibrant
community of 25,000 people. The City has experienced rapid but
balanced growth over the past decade, averaging a 3-4% growth rate
per year. There were 1,266 new residential building permits issued
between 2001 and 2004. The average 3-bedroom home sale price in 2004
exceeded $200,000 and increased by 11% between 2003 and 2004.
McHenry’s median household income is over $55,000 and the per capita
family income exceeds $23,000.
McHenry is fortunate in that it has three distinct downtown areas
which are rich in history: Main Street, Green Street and Riverside
Drive. All three areas consist of quaint specialty retail shops, as
well as service-oriented businesses. Each of the downtown districts
has its own identity and affords tremendous opportunities for
redevelopment. State Route 120 and State Route 31 traverse the
downtown districts with Average Daily traffic counts of 30,000 and
22,000 vehicles respectively.
The McHenry City Council is committed to the ongoing success and
redevelopment of the downtown areas. The City is currently in the
final stages of planning the development of a mile-long
Riverwalk along Boone Lagoon and the Fox River. In 2002, the City established
a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District encompassing the Riverside
Drive and Green Street downtown areas; and in 2003 the City adopted
a Downtown Master Plan to further promote redevelopment and investment. In
2004, the City Council passed a Downtown Overlay District, along
with Design Guidelines to further the goals and objectives of the
Downtown Plan. A Façade Improvement Grant program, sponsored by the
City, offers funds for improvements to commercial buildings in
downtown that are over 50 years old. McHenry’s commitment to its
downtown has already resulted in two redevelopment projects. On
Waukegan Road east of Green Street, Riverwalk Place townhome
development, consisting of 20 upscale townhomes on 1.69 acres along
the proposed Riverwalk, is currently under construction. The former
Eby Brown building on Illinois Route 120 was renovated and is now a
successful retail center. The City of McHenry downtown is going
through an exciting time and McHenry is looking for you to become a
part of it! For more information on redevelopment opportunities,
please contact: Douglas Martin
Deputy City Administrator
City of McHenry
333 S. Green Street
McHenry, IL 60050
(815) 363-2100 |
