New McDonald's could be coming to suburban shopping center

WOODRIDGE, Ill. - A new McDonald's could be coming to a suburban shopping center.

NARE Woodridge Management, LLC set its sights on building a 3,958-square-foot McDonald's in the northwest quadrant of the Woodgrove Festival shopping center, located at 75th Street and Durham Road.

The proposed structure, complete with a drive-through and parking, would occupy a new lot within the shopping complex.

The project was presented to the Plan Commission for consideration in December 2023. The commission voted 3-3 on the recommendation to the Village Board. At least four Plan Commission members are needed for a positive recommendation.

On Feb. 1, 2024, it was announced that the matter would be escalated to the Village of Woodridge Board for further deliberation. Subsequently, on March 21, the Board opted to defer its decision pending the completion of an additional traffic study as residents voiced their concerns about the proposal, citing traffic as a primary issue.

The following information, released last May, provides insight from an initial traffic study:

"75th Street is under the jurisdiction of the DuPage County Division of Transportation (DuDOT), and carries an average daily traffic volume of 22,000 vehicles. 75th Street is designed to have a capacity of 55,000 daily vehicles. It is important to note that many trips made to fast food restaurants are diverted from existing traffic on the roadway system. This is particularly true during weekday morning and evening peak hours. This type of trip is referred to as pass-by traffic, meaning that these trips are not additionally added to the roadways. The traffic expected to be generated by this development that would turn south onto Dunham from 75th street is estimated at 38 vehicles during the weekday AM peak hour (7:30-8:30 AM), 29 vehicles during the weekday PM peak hour (4:30-5:30 PM), and 45 vehicles during the Saturday midday peak hour (12:00-1:00 PM). This would result in a 1-2% increase in traffic during peak hours. The traffic study reports that the existing road system can sufficiently serve the proposed increase."

A Special Village Board meeting will be held on May 30 at 6 p.m., during which this proposal will be discussed further.