10 Assets Downtown Elgin Offers Business Owners & Residents

#1Access to Transportation – Downtown Elgin has two Metra Stations including the National Street Station with ample parking and the W. Chicago Street Station ideal for pedestrian travelers, cyclists and convenient drop-offs. Both are on the Milwaukee District West Metra Line (MD-W). There is also a Pace Bus station and thousands of free public parking spaces available in both covered parking garages and open lots. Interstate 90 is about 3 miles or 10 minutes to the north and Route 20 is about 1 mile or 5 minutes to the south. Both provide convenient accessibility to the surrounding suburbs for commuting employees or visitors.

Metra recently announced plans to purchase up to 500 modern railcars. Click the image to watch a video about the future of Metra.

#2Parks and Open Spaces – Festival Park is situated along the Fox River and features a playground and splash pad plus bike trail and fishing access along with an expansive event lawn. Walton Island on the Fox River is a 4.5-acre island with walking paths, fishing opportunities and a pavilion shelter/gazebo for special events. The renovated Civic Center Plaza behind City Hall will open in the Summer of 2021. The $2.1 million dollar Civic Center Enhancement included new concrete walkways, improved site drainage, new raised planting beds, site lighting, accent lighting, landscape irrigation and renovated public art. In the center of town is DuPage Court. Once a roadway, this thoroughfare connecting Spring Street and Grove Avenue is a pedestrian friendly, landscaped passage adding to the walkability of the downtown and used for smaller events and outdoor dining.

Travel between Downtown Elgin and Chicago in just over an hour via Metra.

#3The Fox River – The Fox River winds through the heart of Downtown Elgin from north to south providing an attractive amenity for residents and businesses alike. Outdoor enthusiasts appreciate the recreation available on the Fox River including fishing, boating and kayaking. Bird watchers annually look for the bald eagles known to fly over the Fox River near the Gail Borden Public Library. River views are free for visitors to the Grand Victoria Casino and Festival Park, and are a special perk for numerous commercial spaces located along Riverside Drive and Grove Avenue.

#4Grand Victoria Casino – The Grand Victoria Casino has been an important anchor in Downtown Elgin since 1994 and is a regional draw for casino gaming, dining and entertainment. Banquet facilities of nearly 7,000 square feet can accommodate large corporate events, community events, weddings and more. The Grand Victoria Casino is owned by Caesars Entertainment.

#5Community Events – Downtown Elgin is host to a wide variety of events catering to the local community and visitors. The seasonal Elgin Farmers Market has been a staple of the downtown for over 20 years. Other popular past events include Fringe Festival, Winter Wonderland, the Elgin Craft Beer Fest, the 4th of July Parade and Nightmare on Chicago Street which alone attracts upwards of 18,000 attendees.

Public art enhances the ambiance in Downtown Elgin.

#6Public Art – Elgin has defined itself as a “City of the Arts” with the Elgin Cultural Arts Commission (ECAC) leading efforts to facilitate a robust public art program. The ECAC oversees the current collection, acquires two new pieces annually and is responsible for programs including the Donate-A-Wall program, the Neighborhood Public Art Grant program, the Utility Box Wrapping Program and more. Explore the public art in Downtown Elgin here. The arts community is strong in Downtown Elgin where artists enjoy affordable residential housing at Elgin ArtSpace Lofts and supportive organizations such as Side Street Studio Arts. Founded in 2013, Side Street provides educational and creative resources for artists as well as numerous opportunities for the community to access and appreciate the arts.

Historic architecture lends an inviting ambiance and is ideal for local entrepreneurs to make their business stand out as unique.

#7Historic Architecture – The Downtown Elgin Historic Commercial District is on the National Register of Historic Places with commercial buildings from the mid-19th century. The district is significant due to its association with commercial and business development between 1873 and 1964, as an industrial satellite city of Chicago. Downtown Elgin is surrounded by historic neighborhoods each with unique attributes and strong neighborhood associations. Visit “Elgin Walks” to explore these five neighborhoods. A visit to the Elgin History Museum provides an abundance of interesting information about Elgin dating back to it’s founding in 1835 and before.

The Centre of Elgin offers 185,000 square feet of indoor recreation space.

#8Civic Amenities & Services – Living or working in the downtown offers convenient access to amenities such as the award winning Gail Borden Pubic Library. The City Hall and Police Department are also downtown as is the post office. The Centre of Elgin offers 185,000 square feet of recreation space including a state-of-the-art fitness center, indoor walking track, basketball courts, indoor swimming pool, banquet space and community areas. The Hemmens Cultural Center is a 1,200-seat theatre and is home to the award winning Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Other services unique to Elgin include the City’s 311 call center which is available during normal business hours for anyone to call with general questions or to process non-emergency requests such as reporting a pothole, paying a water bill, etc. Downtown Elgin is also proud to have an assigned Elgin Police Officer whose main focus is addressing needs for downtown businesses and residents.

The Downtown Neighborhood Association mission is centered around supporting a thriving downtown and living by the mantra, “It’s Your City. It’s Your DNA.”

#9Vibrant Business Community – Local entrepreneurs entice visitors with unique experiences for dining, shopping and entertainment. Numerous new businesses opened in 2020 and many more are anticipated in the coming year. The current array of businesses and organizations in the downtown include cafes, restaurants and bars, entertainment and event venues, specialty retail, professional services and more. View a complete list on the Downtown Elgin Business Directory.

#10DNA Support – Locating a business in Downtown Elgin provides you with business services and a support system from the Downtown Neighborhood Association that you will not find in other places. The DNA team is tasked with working towards the key pillars of our organization mission statement including economic development, community building, collaboration, beautification, physical enhancement and more. The DNA is dedicated to this mission and works on behalf of every Downtown Elgin business owner, property owner, stakeholder and resident in conjunction with City leaders and partner organizations.

The Downtown Elgin business community and residents have plenty of reasons to call Downtown Elgin home. Sign-up for the Downtown Elgin newsletter to be the first to know about new businesses, promotions and events and be sure to follow the DNA on Facebook.