When Neighbors Lead, Main Street Follows

Skokie’s ‘Make It On Main’ and the return of a thriving local hub

‘Make It On Main’ is Skokie’s bold, people-first vision to return its Main Street Commercial Corridor to a lively neighborhood hub—where small businesses thrive, legacy storefronts shine, and fresh development anchors a walkable, welcoming street. Rooted in a unique mid-century aesthetic and a strong, surrounding residential fabric, Main Street is reclaiming its role as a local “third place,” blending commerce, culture, and community in a way that feels distinctly Skokie.

Only a few short years ago, Main Street was facing rising vacancies, declining property values, aging buildings, and lack of use. The surrounding neighbors took notice of their fading Main Street and rallied together to launch ‘Meetup on Main’, a re-occurring pop-up event series highlighting local vendors, musicians, activities, and more. With this energy, the community developed initial ideas for the change they wanted to see along Main Street.  

In response, the Village launched the Main Street Commercial Corridor Study—a collaborative planning effort shaped by residents, business owners, Village staff, and design professionals. MKSK led this study as urban design and planning lead with Goodman Williams providing market analysis and economic development services. Completed in late 2024, the Make It On Main Vision Plan for Main Street, set a clear roadmap for transforming the corridor by focusing on identity, development, activation, and safety, while leveraging community insight, market analysis, urban design strategies, and grant finding to move from vision to action with quick wins. 

The grassroots Meetup on Main events met the community’s initial appetite for vibrancy, filling underused plazas with music, food, and neighbors – with pop-up events still regularly growing in momentum. Soul Good Coffee’s leap from a mobile pop-up coffee trailer to Main Street’s first permanent café became a symbol of the corridor’s momentum—so much so that Governor J.B. Pritzker stopped by in November 2025 to spotlight the café as part of Illinois’ Small Business Capital and Infrastructure Grant Program

Momentum continues to build along Main Street with The Storefront at 4051 Main —a Village-led creative incubator featuring the Skokie Winter Farmers Market, pop-up workshops, exhibits, and artist fellowships under the Make It On Main banner. Likewise, MKSK is currently partnering with the Village on Phase 1 of a transformational streetscape project. Through early iteration, MKSK explored several stylistic concepts for amplifying the mid-century spirit of the corridor while providing lush native plantings, generous plaza seating opportunities, outdoor dining, and vibrant lighting. 

Together, these early successes show what’s possible when urban planning meets community passion. Main Street is no longer just a corridor—it’s becoming a soul-filled destination. With immediate improvements underway and a long-term vision guiding future investment, Skokie is Making it on Main, one small business, one event, and one connection at a time. 

Brett Weidl is a Principal, Landscape Architect and Urban Designer at MKSK. Brett’s passion resides in creating inclusive landscapes, enabling equitable access and strengthened connectivity between people and places to transform lives and foster community through opportunities for shared collective community experiences.