Village of Worth Comprehensive Retail Plan 2003

The “Friendly Village” of Worth is located approximately 13 miles southwest of the Chicago Loop. It hosts two retail corridors on 111th Street and Harlem Avenue where a variety of convenience products and services can be purchased. In 2003, the Village was at a critical juncture where it needed to build on its assets to become a retail destination for residents, visitors, and commuters. Several challenges lay ahead. Although Worth was incorporated in 1915, most of its building stock dated from the middle of the 20th century when automobile-oriented development dominated. Small commercial buildings, most located in non-descript strip malls, sat on large parcels devoted to parking. The Village lacked the historic downtown that other bedroom communities possess. Moreover, the Village had little room to grow and develop as it was land-locked by other suburbs. Worth was neither a major retail destination nor a significant employment center and so had to rely heavily on residential property taxes for revenue.

This plan, commissioned by the Village of Worth in the Fall of 2003, recommended ways for Worth to improve the physical environment and economic performance of its two retail corridors. It was intended as a visionary but action-oriented guide for future planning efforts based on the principles of place, choice, and prosperity. The plan evolved out of conversations between the Village President, Ed Guzdziol, and Professors Rachel Weber and Brent D. Ryan of the Urban Planning and Policy Program at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). During the Spring and Summer of 2004, students in a UIC studio class conducted baseline analyses,undertook detailed research in priority areas, and formulated planning recommendations for the Village, presenting their work at two public meetings for client and stakeholder input.