Developer panel urges port and city to align lakefront vision; staff moves to advance downtown sites

Sam Green, a city planner, told the Community Development Committee on April 7 that the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) convened a volunteer developer panel to give candid market feedback on Waukegan’s lakefront and downtown sites. Green said the panel focused on two parcels: the Bay Marine site on the lakefront and a city‑owned parking lot across the street.

“The panel’s primary advice was threefold: align visions, approvals and funding; prioritize downtown sites for a proof of concept while preparing the lakefront; and connect downtown and the lakefront so they work as one place,” Green said.

Aldermen and planning staff described work already under way. City staff said they have started regular coordination meetings with the Port District and a development consultant, are pursuing state funding for an Amstutz‑Sheridan corridor feasibility study, and plan environmental assessments and cleanup on prioritized lots. Green said the city is preparing a downtown parking‑lot request for proposals this summer and a downtown housing market study that staff said shows early positive indicators for demand.

Greg Petrie, a Port District board member, thanked the city and the RTA for the joint application that brought the ULI developers to Waukegan and said the Port District intends to continue collaborating with city staff on site transfers, park design and access to the water.

During committee discussion Alderman Jose Guzman questioned repetition of studies and grant requests over the years. Green and a development director answered that the developer panel was a different kind of engagement—a half‑day market test of what private developers would actually build—and that earlier plans had been readopted into the city’s 2020 comprehensive plan. The director added the developer panel cost the city little or nothing; RTA and ULI covered most expenses.

City staff outlined immediate action items arising from the panel: burying overhead utilities where feasible; continuing grant applications for park and corridor work; transferring selected Port District parcels to the city for activation; conducting environmental investigations and cleanup; and preparing a predetermined incentive package to speed negotiations with developers.

The port and city officials framed the panel as a diagnostic step to make future private investment more likely. “We were very pleased the RTA liked the joint application,” Petrie said. “We’re moving in the right direction and hope the new administration continues this collaboration.”

Staff asked the committee to note the panel’s recommendations and to continue coordination; there was no formal council action tied to the presentation. Committee members expressed support for the recommended next steps and for continuing the grant and cleanup work needed to prepare sites for development.

Why it matters: The lakefront and adjacent downtown are long‑standing priorities in Waukegan’s land‑use plans; developers told the city that market interest will depend on visible improvements—cleanup, utilities and clear incentives—that reduce risk for private investors. City staff said the developer panel has already led to increased coordination with the Port District and to moving forward on environmental investigations and grant work.