Homewood, IL is a beautiful village located 22 miles south of Chicago. The village came into existence in 1853. Known for it’s buff/tan colored bricks, it has buildings of historic importance as well. The site is located at the heart of the downtown, at the intersection of Ridge Road and Martin Avenue.It is located at a prime location with the railway station on its west and the townhouse at it’s north, both within 5-minute walking distance.
I found this beautiful village courtesy of a studio assignment in my first semester of graduate school. While analyzing the village, I learned about its’ journey, from inception to present. The village is a beautiful mix of art deco buildings and tree lined avenues. However, its beauty has not been enough in keeping the downtown alive. Homewood’s downtown used to be an area full of its people. People came to downtown to eat, shop and be social. And, as years have passed by, the downtown is seeing less and less of its people. Initiatives were carried out by the government to revive it’s downtown, however, they were not enough.
The government decided to make a farmer’s market at the intersection of ridge and martin avenue. It was planned that the martin avenue north of its intersection will be converted into a farmer’s market. For this, four pillars were erected at the intersection of ridge and martin. In addition, Martin avenue north of the intersection was made pedestrian only, and the pavement was changed. While this looks like a start of something exciting, it was just left at that. The farmer’s market functions once a week however, apart from that one day, the street and areas around rarely see any footfall. Even after an attempt to revive it, it is still an Excess piece of land in downtown with just parking lots around it. The atmosphere created, at the heart of downtown, feels hollow. It feels like the outskirts of a city at the heart of it.
The project aims to truly revive the downtown by taking cues from the work already started by the village of Homewood. It is the transformation of the farmer’s market into ‘farmers market and much more’. It is a place to shop, sell, interact, socialize, and play. This is not a project which inserts buildings for businesses, but one which brings people to those already existing businesses. It is a project which not only is for the people of Homewood, but also surrounding area. The proposal identifies the train line as one of the major ways to increase traffic in Downtown Homewood, especially by making it appealing for people who always see it passing by. The proposal establishes a landmark pavilion in the heart of downtown which will act as an attraction for residents of Homewood as well as people living nearby.
The research for the project supports its need. The following documents and links help to situate the project within its context and provide information that stakeholders might need to make decisions about the project.
Project data and site photos
Commuting, Parking, and Biking
Downtown Homewood Redevelopment
Exploring the Architecture of Place in America’s Farmers Markets, Chapter 4 - Pop Up Canopy
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