UPDATE: The Planning Priorities Report was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees on May 20, 2019. The report is available for download below.
The Village of Thornton is located in south Cook County, approximately 25 miles from Chicago’s Loop. Settled in 1834, Thornton is currently home to an estimated 2,600 residents and one of the largest commercial limestone quarries in the world. The community enjoys its “small town” feel, proximity to the Cook County Forest Preserves, and excellent access to Interstate 80 and Interstate 294. For demographic information about the Village, please refer to the Community Data Snapshot.
The Village of Thornton requested technical assistance from CMAP to help with planning for the Village’s future. With support from CMAP’s Local Technical Assistance (LTA) program, the Village will study the full range of current opportunities, assets, and needs in Thornton, to help determine what type of planning the Village should undertake next. The project will culminate in a “planning priorities report” that provides recommendations for planning priorities and/or implementation actions for the Village.
The report will be developed over approximately eight months. The first phase will involve an analysis of existing conditions, using information and public input gathered by CMAP staff in collaboration with the Village as well as other data focused on the community's demographics, natural resources, economic health, and transportation system. This analysis will then be summarized, leading to initial recommendations that will be vetted with Village staff and officials. The final phase will include the creation of a consensus-based planning priorities report that provides near-term strategies for the Village.
