Riverside trustees approved an agreement to install new gateway signage on private property at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and Longcommon Road.
The flag-like sign, attached to a pole, will indicate to drivers on Harlem Avenue that they are passing by Riverside. It will feature Riverside’s logo, call out the village as a National Historic Landmark and note its year of establishment in 1869. The sign will be installed on a piece of grass between the street and the sidewalk immediately south of the parking lot at the Shining Smiles strip mall.
The village is also set to install three bike racks, new brick pavers, and perennial plants in a teardrop-shaped planter on the other side of the sidewalk, closer to the parking lot, beautifying the area and making it more accessible for cyclists.
According to a staff memo, the total cost for the improvements is $152,640. The money will from the village’s Business District One fund, consisting of sales tax revenue generated from sales in the district, which comprises the strip mall and the gas station south of the intersection.
The fund has a positive balance of about $10,000 and is expected to have a negative balance of about $37,463 at the end of the year, with revenues expected to surpass $125,000. Only about $500 is budgeted in expenses next year, with a similar amount of revenue projected, meaning the fund’s negative balance will be offset by the end of 2027.
“The village will realize cost savings if the project is completed this year due to rising construction and material inflation costs,” said Community Development Director Anne Cyran. “A proposal and agreement for the work will be an upcoming agenda item for the board’s consideration. Of note is that this item meets a few of the board’s strategic goals, but most notably to enhance the attractiveness of the north entry of the village with signage and other enhancements.”
The village board, which unanimously approved the resolution, last discussed the project in January 2025, when it selected the shape of the planter bed and approved installing the bike racks.
At that time, trustees directed for there to only be one sign installed after having considered installing a second gateway sign at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and East Burlington Street.
The village would have been able to make an agreement to place the sign on private property there with the owners of Star Buds, which was then still planning to purchase and redevelop property at 3320 S. Harlem Ave. and 363-369 E. Burlington St. In August, trustees approved a termination agreement with Star Buds’ representatives, allowing the cannabis dispensary to stay put at its 2704 Harlem Ave. location.
The board narrowed in on the chosen sign design over a series of meetings throughout 2024.
