Village of Hampshire, Illinois Embraces New Downtown Streetscape

Hampshire is embracing opportunity by developing a new downtown streetscape on State Street from Jefferson Street to Washington Avenue.

Construction will begin June and is expected to be completed by September 2021. During construction, traffic will be detoured to Park Street and businesses, parking and sidewalks will be accessible.

The new streetscape, funded by a State of Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Office of Community Development program restricted for this purpose, will give residents and business owners:

- An outdoor community gathering space with overhead lighting and reconfigured parking

- Newly paved intersections and crosswalks

- Enhanced safety as it will no longer be a thoroughfare for commercial trucks

- Landscaping, tree planting and a pedestal clock

The Village Board of Trustees explored other uses for this funding, including critical infrastructure programs and street improvement projects in other areas of the village, and only this project qualified. In a survey administered by the Village’s Business Development Commission, Hampshire residents ranked improving the downtown as a top priority.

The community gathering space will accommodate new and existing community events, including the Hampshire Street Dance, the Hampshire Car Show and the Hampshire Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Market.

The streetscape project team includes Engineering Enterprises, Inc. for construction and engineering, Planning Resources Inc. for landscape architecture and Kornacki & Assocates, Inc. for lighting and electrical design.

With the improved downtown, the Village of Hampshire aims to attract visitors and consumers, create a sense of identity for the area, spur economic growth and offer the community a place to gather.

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ABOUT HAMPSHIRE, ILLINOIS

The Village if Hampshire is located in Kane County, Illinois between Chicago and Rockford. With a population of 6,400, the community blends a rural lifestyle with access to the city.

The Village has an interchange at I-90 and is served by other major roads, including Illinois 72 and U.S. 20. Its downtown will get a new streetscape in 2021 that will build on the hometown charm that is deeply rooted in Hampshire’s history.

The highly regarded Hampshire school system consists of Hampshire High School, Hampshire Middle School, Hampshire Elementary School and Gary D. Wright Elementary– with a new elementary school opening in a brand-new subdivision in 2022.