Village of La Grange Comunity Profile

WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE OF LA GRANGE

"TRADITION AND PRIDE - MOVING FORWARD"

Official Seal: 1879, signifying the date of the incorporation of the Village of La Grange, is inscribed in black letters on a white tree which symbolizes the importance of trees in our Village. This tree is placed in the center against an all-over pattern of free and varied circles representing the people of La Grange. A ropelike band surrounds the tree and circles. The all-over pattern of circles suggests our respect and responsibility shown for people, institutes, government, businesses, organizations, and activities of the citizens of La Grange. An outer circle of "S's" symbolize the services and cooperation for and by the citizens for the positive goals of our Village, its community and our country.

Official Flag: The La Grange flag has a field of three (3) horizontal stripes of equal width: a medium warm blue stripe at the top, a white stripe at the center, and a medium warm green at the base. At the left center of the flag is a circle containing an irregularly striped tree symbol in dark green on a light cool blue background in the center. This tree has the numerals "1879" in white. Around this center field is a white stripe with "La Grange" printed at the top and "Illinois" at the bottom. Both words are printed in dark green Gothic letters. This white stripe is bordered with a narrow band of the same light cool blue of the center field.

The Village of La Grange was incorporated in 1879 and operates under a Board-Manager form of government. La Grange is a non-home rule municipal corporation governed by the Village President and six trustees, who are elected on a non-partisan basis to serve four-year overlapping terms. The Village Manager serves as the Chief Administrative officer. The Village Board is responsible for establishing Village policy which, in turn, is implemented on a day-to-day basis by the Village Manager and staff. Located approximately 14 miles west of Chicago, in the County of Cook, the Village occupies a land area of approximately 2.5 square miles and has an estimated population of 15,600. The Village's housing stock is primarily made up of quality single family homes ranging in price from $150,000 to over $500,000. Homes within the Village are well preserved and maintain their architectural and historic significance through sensitive restoration. An Historic District designated by the National Trust for Historic Places is located within the Village.

La Grange is served by an excellent educational system anchored by nationally ranked Lyons Township High School, which serves an enrollment of over 2,800 students. Six elementary and two junior high schools serve over 2,500 students. The community also serves as the home for the 270-bed La Grange Memorial Hospital, which is a Level II Trauma Center. Recreation facilities and activities for Village residents are provided by the Park District of La Grange, a separate unit of government.

The Village of La Grange provides a full range of governmental services. Specifically, the Village provides police and fire protection, water and sewer utilities, construction and maintenance of roadways and infrastructure, code enforcement, planning, zoning, inspection services, economic development, finance and general administrative services.

The Village of La Grange's strategic location has the advantage of being easily accessible from every direction. Four State highways penetrate and cross its boundaries on two major routes: Route 12, 20 and 45 (La Grange/Mannheim Road) and Route 34 (Ogden Avenue). La Grange Road, the main street through the center of the Village, boasts 26,000 cars traveling on a daily basis. Interstate 290, Interstate 55 and the Tri-State Tollway (294) provide easy vehicular access to La Grange. O'Hare International Airport, Midway Airport and the Chicago Loop are each only 30 minutes away. Public transportation is provided by the Burlington Northern Commuter Rail System, which has approximately 5,000 boardings daily from the La Grange Road Train station and the Stone Avenue Station. Amtrak and PACE bus service also serve the area. Rail freight service is provided by the Indiana Harbor Belt and the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railway.

The Village is a relatively affluent community with a cosmopolitan flair. According to the 1990 U.S. Census report, the Village's median family income was $52,467 and per capita income was $21,660, both well above state and national levels. As a mature community located within the inner suburban ring of a major metropolitan area, La Grange has maintained an image of quality and stability by offering a diverse selection of housing alternatives, an established central business district and excellent library, park and school systems.

The Village's business base is made up primarily of smaller businesses which provide friendly, personalized service and quality merchandise. The Village provides more than 1,300 on-street and off-street public parking spaces, which serve the commuter as well as the shopper. Two small industrial areas also serve as the headquarters for a number of light manufacturing establishments. In recent years, many dining establishments have chosen to locate in La Grange creating a distinct niche or "restaurant row" for the Village. The business community is an active participant in enhancing the vibrancy of the downtown area by maintaining attractive storefronts and by sponsoring various annual community events such as the "Pet Parade," "Endless Summer," the "Christmas Walk," and a Fine Arts Festival. These events continue to attract thousands of people from the Village and surrounding communities to downtown La Grange. A regional Chamber of Commerce is active in promoting the business climate.

The Village government has also been active in promoting the Village to prospective business owners, and recently completed an extensive streetscape beautification project, using tax increment financing (TIF) revenues to further advance the Village as a desirable business location. In addition, using TIF funds, the Village's facade renovation/restoration program provides interest-free loans for building renovation. The joint efforts of the business community and the local government continue to reap positive benefits, as vacancies for businesses and open parking spaces are both relatively low.