Village of Schaumburg

90 North Park Shared Street

A New Regional Destination

The Village of Schaumburg has been working to transform an area north of the Jane Addams (I-90) Tollway, formerly the Motorola Campus, into an exciting regional business destination called 90 North District. The intent is to have a mixed-use, walkable, urban center that can also provide an entertainment and recreational hub for residents.

A Flexible Roadway to Serve All Users

90 North Park Shared Street is an exciting infrastructure component to the overall master plan. This project includes new construction of the roadway and utilities adjacent to a public park and open event space. The shared street provides additional parking and acts as a gateway to the area, blurring the line between the park and the roadway and creating a flexible space that can easily transition into an extension of the park by closing it off to vehicular traffic during events.

A Pedestrian-Friendly Curbless Flex Street

This curbless flex street design is pedestrian-friendly and includes a variety of landscape design elements such as raised seating areas and planters, rain gardens, and modern site furnishings. The street’s decorative paving consists of a mix of permeable pavers and brushed colored concrete. Decorative lighting adds to the festive aesthetic with lit bollards and festoon lighting.

Sustainability Features

The paver installation in this sustainability-focused design includes a 2-tiered layer of permeability. The first layer includes maximized open space to hold more water, then the denser second layer allows the stormwater to slowly permeate into the soil below. By permeating the storm water through the pavers, surface water collection and runoff is mitigated and the permeation of the water into the soil is slowed. This system also acts as a natural filter for the stormwater.

Planters for Stormwater Infiltration

Landscape planters also provide stormwater infiltration. Low profile planters were designed with an inlet that diverts storm water into the planter rather than into the storm drains. The planters utilize engineered soil that filters stormwater and allows it to permeate into the ground, improving water quality and reducing demands on the municipal storm sewer system. Native plants thrive in this environment and stabilize the soil while providing additional stormwater filtration and uptake. Overflow drains are provided to prevent flooding.

Construction Challenges

The construction presented several challenges. Specialized materials and finishes were required, including the detailed inspection of colored concrete with integral deep charcoal pigment and unique broom finishes for different pavement panels. The installation of festoon lighting and security bollards with integrated pedestrian lighting demanded detailed submittal reviews and mock-ups.

Multi-Agency Coordination

Coordination with multiple permitting authorities, such as the Village Public Works and MWRD, added complexity, especially for stormwater volume control compliance. Additionally, the project installed new village utilities and street elements throughout the project, demanding precise planning and construction layout verification.

Extensive Design Services

Civiltech provided Complete Streets and sustainability focused Phase II Design Engineering and Landscape Architecture on this exciting community-driven project. In addition to roadway, bike and pedestrian, and streetscape and landscape design, services included stormwater and drainage design, lighting, storm and sanitary sewer, watermain, and permitting.

Construction Engineering

Civiltech also provided Phase III Construction Engineering. The Phase III team worked to ensure that the design elements were meticulously installed and protected from damage from construction activities.