Oswego board approves Harrison Street Square concept plan and special-use permit for dog park

The Oswego Village Board on June 24 approved a concept plan for Harrison Street Square, a downtown mixed-use development at 174 South Harrison Street, and separately granted a special‑use permit to allow a fenced dog park and indoor bar as part of the project.

The project site covers roughly 2 acres and includes an existing roughly 10,000‑square‑foot brick building plus two vacant parcels. Under the concept presented to the board, the existing building would be subdivided into multi‑tenant commercial space; a central parcel would become an open recreation area; the north parcel alongside the railroad would contain about eight small “starter” retail structures and three commercial pads with one pad reserved for food trucks. The board also approved a special‑use permit allowing an outdoor recreation use — a fenced dog run limited to about 2,700 square feet, surfaced with AstroTurf or a turf/grass mix, and enclosed with fencing up to 6 feet high.

Why it matters: the proposal is one of the most detailed downtown redevelopment plans considered recently by the village and is intended to activate the east end of Harrison Street with restaurants, small retail, seasonal and year‑round programming, and a dog‑friendly amenity that developers say will draw residents into the downtown.

Rod (staff member) told the board the site consists of three parcels and that the village’s comprehensive plan includes a Harrison Street streetscape with sidewalks, lighting and on‑street parking; staff said they are exploring accelerating the planned streetscape improvements, which are currently in the capital improvement plan for the next five years. The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed the project on June 5 and…