East Hazel Crest, Ill., was a small city with a big-city problem - revenue. The Chicago suburb, with a population of 1,580, had limited resources, as well as a high number of fixed-income senior citizens. To avoid raising taxes to pay for the growing costs of city services, East Hazel Crest officials decided to turn the city into a "commuter community." By using an existing Chicago Metra train station, officials planned to build revenue based on income from commuters.

City officials started the project by purchasing an office complex near the train station. They moved government operations into one-third of the space and leased the remaining space to South Suburban Mayors and Managers, a consortium of 38 Chicago-area municipalities; and the Lutheran Social Services Adult Day Care. The office complex came with a large parking area, and the city began selling parking passes to commuters taking the train into the city. Soon, there were not enough parking spaces to meet the demand.

Having proved that parking could generate its needed revenue, East Hazel Crest officials decided in fall 1998 to renovate the train station and expand parking. They applied for funding for the $500,000 project through a federal program, which covered 80 percent of the cost. The city received additional assistance from the Illinois DOT, Metra, local firm Robinson Engineering, and South Suburban Mayors and Managers.

Construction began in May 1999 and was completed in November. The lot holds about 700 cars and generates about $15,000 per month in parking fees from commuters.