La Grange focuses on infrastructure

Main intersection done soon; sewer work is next on agenda 

By Steve Metsch

La Grange Village President Thomas Livingston discussed the many road improvement that have been ongoing this year at a recent meeting of the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce.

“In La Grange, we really try to keep an eye on the next horizon …  keeping in mind being business-friendly and resident-friendly,” Livingston said.

He spoke at the chamber’s “Talk of the Towns” meeting at the William Tell Holiday Inn in Countryside on Oct. 10. Leaders of nine communities discussed recent improvements.

He noted that it’s “a very disruptive time in the retail market,” so the village takes long-term planning “very seriously,” he said.

“Our main focus has been infrastructure. You see, at La Grange Road and Ogden Avenue, in fact, just avoid it. Once the pain of construction has passed, we’ve got better turning geometry there,” he said.

The intersection is beside a new 254-unit apartment complex that stands where the YMCA has for decades.

“It’s spectacular. You go in there, there’s a pool, a pizza kitchen, it’s something that will bring a lot of density for La Grange, La Grange Park and Western Springs. We’ll have a lot of new residents coming for opportunity. They want to be in the western suburbs and we want to capture that growth with the best of our ability,” Livingston said.

Next on La Grange’s agenda is addressing its century-old brick sewer line system.

“We’re in the process of methodically working on those, replacing them. We have a new pump station on East Avenue. Those things don’t get a lot of residents very excited, but they’re sure excitable when something breaks. So, we’ve stayed ahead of that critical infrastructure, and that’s something we have to do,” Livingston said.

A storm sewer project is planned for south of 47^th Street, he said.

He thanked the chamber for “putting win in our sails by speaking out for businesses.”

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Steve Metsch

Steve Metsch is an award winning veteran reporter who previously worked for the Daily Southtown Newspapers, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. Metsch is a writer and editor at the Southwest News Newspaper group based in suburban Chicago, and a freelance writer a health magazine, the Suburban Life, the Naperville Sun, and other organizations.
Email Steve Metsch at [email protected]

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