Carol Stream, Illinois
Gary Avenue Corridor Enhancement

Gary Avenue, a 2.8 mile long corridor within Carol Stream, is one of the most traveled and identifiable corridors found within the village. However, the village felt the corridor lacked any notable features or image and was not reflective of the quality neighborhoods, schools and parks found in Carol Stream. The village, therefore, wanted to explore opportunities to think beyond a typical roadway and to explore ideas in which this corridor could provide various amenities and identity to the village.

The intent of the Gary Avenue Corridor Plan was to guide design and development of the corridor in a manner that reflected the corridor's potential role as the signature street or address for the Village of Carol Stream. Therefore, the planning work focused on urban design, landscape, land use, zoning controls, signage, architectural design and other functional design elements within the corridor that contributed to its attractiveness as well as to the image of the community as a whole.

Gary Avenue Improvements and Daylily Park

The Village of Carol Stream felt that their community lacked identity and character and wished to redesign Gary Avenue, the Village's main street. Camiros focused on the landscape, land use, zoning controls, signage and other focal feature elements to help the village create an attractive, unique image. Two designated sites along Gary Avenue included features such as serpentine stone sign walls, large native planting beds, colorful plazas, water features, ornamental lighting and undulating pedestrian/bike paths linking the natural open spaces of Carol Stream. These sites served as an example for new construction focusing on the community cohesiveness that the people of Carol Stream desire as their future character. Included in their efforts to use native materials and natural landscape, the village implemented an organic maintenance program written by Camiros that provided for the maintenance of the open spaces without the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides. Daylily Park contains 100 different varieties of Hemerocallis or Daylily plants as well as a host of bulbs and ornamental grasses. Signs designed by Camiros identify each plant to increase the educational value and enjoyment of the park by plant enthusiasts and novices alike. These new park sites, such as the Daylily Park, served the community by providing both active and passive recreational areas as well as aesthetic green space that visually served their community's new image.