Village of Glencoe and HLR Receive Multiple Industry Awards for Tudor Court Improvements

Congratulations to the Village of Glencoe and its team of consultants recognized for exceptional work on the recent Tudor Court Street and Streetscape improvements by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois and the American Public Works Association.

We are excited to announce that the Tudor Court Street and Streetscape improvements project was selected for a 2023 APWA Suburban Branch Project of the Year Award in the Transportation category – Less than $5 Million by the Chicago Metropolitan Chapter of the American Public Works Association. The APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award was established to promote excellence in the management, administration, and implementation of public works projects by recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, consultant, architect, engineer, and contractor who work together to complete public works projects. Projects submitted to the Transportation category must highlight the use of good construction management techniques, safety, community relations, environmental protection, unusual accomplishments under adverse conditions, and additional considerations.

Additionally, Tudor Court was selected for a 2023 ACEC-Illinois Engineering Excellence Merit Award by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois and received a Judge’s Choice Award, which was announced at the 2023 Annual Engineering Excellence Awards Gala on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago in Rosemont, IL. The Engineering Excellence Awards Competition recognizes projects of engineering achievement by Illinois consulting engineering firms. Entries are judged based on engineering excellence, the degree to which the client’s needs are met, and the benefits to the public welfare and private practice of engineering.

This year, ACEC-Illinois presented 31 awards: 9 Merit Awards, 11 Special Achievement Awards, and 11 Honor Awards. Seven of the projects received Judge’s Choice Awards. Congratulations to the Village of Glencoe, Teska Associates, Inc., and Alliance Contractors, Inc. Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR) is honored to have been a part of this team!

Project Background

Located along the north boundary of Downtown Glencoe, Tudor Court is a one-way eastbound street, approximately 490 feet long. Tudor Court connects Vernon Avenue, a downtown street at the west, with Green Bay Road, a vehicular corridor at the east. All streets are locally controlled.

Tudor Court was historically an alleyway serving the backs of businesses along Park Avenue. As the Village grew, businesses, parks, and institutions developed frontages onto Tudor Court. Today, the north side of Tudor Court supports Writers Theatre, a local 350-seat live performance theater that draws thousands of visitors annually from the Chicagoland area. The Theater is flanked by Glencoe Park District’s Friends Park to the west and a passive park area (Park 15N) to the east. The south side of Tudor Court supports local businesses and a pedestrian walkway that connects Tudor Court with Park Avenue and downtown areas to the south.

Prior to reconstruction, Tudor Court’s roadway and sidewalk pavements were in poor condition. The Village and community recognized the opportunity to develop a solution that looked beyond utilitarian repairs towards a design that supported public placemaking and connectivity between Tudor Court and its surroundings. The Village adopted a plan in 2016 titled Downtown Tune-Up, which was the culmination of a three-year public visioning process that advanced the work of the Plan Commission and Village Board. The plan emphasized developing "a strong sense of place" and enhancement of "public infrastructure supporting downtown." A specific recommendation was to "consider special environment streetscape treatments to enhance the primary retail core area and the special nature of the ‘arts core’ emerging on Tudor Court."

Highlights of the Tudor Court street and streetscape design plans included:

• Closure of Glencoe Drive, providing additional green space, seating space, and supplementary on-street parking.
• Re-use of Village clay brick pavers and protection of existing trees.
• Planter curbs, specialty benches, and site furnishings.
• Specialty LED lighting features applied to bollard lights, underlit seating, and pavement lighting at a new mid-block crossing.
• Access to power for community festivals and special events.

While the immediate need was to address a failing roadway, the Tudor Court project sought to expand Downtown Glencoe’s sense of place. The street and streetscape design addressed community connectivity, support for local businesses, expanded green spaces, and places for community members to sit, stroll, and gather. Through a robust public outreach program, the design team was encouraged to develop public improvements that responded to adjacent land uses, circulation patterns, and reinforcement of public places. The success of this project was dependent on several parties and years of preliminary planning, conceptual design, and coordination with project stakeholders.