Affordable Housing Plan in Doubt
A Naperville program that would give developers an incentive to carve out housing for low to moderate income residents is on shaky ground after a vote Wednesday from the members of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission. The commissioners acknowledged the lack of affordable housing in Naperville as being an ongoing problem, but said they were uncomfortable with applying any blanket provisions city-wide after the plan was reviewed by local consulting firm SB Friedman. The plans included reducing administrative fees and relaxing regulations for building heights and parking lots. The lack of a recommendation from the commission precedes a final review and vote by city council, who will determine whether the plan will move forward as currently proposed.
North Central Campus Changes
A pair of cosmetic and operational changes on the campus of North Central College were approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday. First, new gateway signage will be installed to signify an entryway to campus at 430 S. Washington Street. The site is currently vacant after it was cleared in 2016. Construction on the new signage is not expected to begin until after the completion of the Washington Street bridge replacement project. Also approved was the rezoning of a home at 5 S. Loomis Street, which will be redesignated to be used as faculty office space. The College acquired the home a year ago, and it has been unoccupied since last fall. Both recommendations now go to city council for a final vote.
Hidden Oaks Nature Center Reopens
Yesterday, Hidden Oaks Nature Center at 419 Trout Farm Road in Bolingbrook reopened. The center has been closed in recent months after the Forest Preserve District of Will County purchased the facility from the Bolingbrook Park District. Initial changes include more hands-on activities for kids in the classrooms and relocating some of the animals in the center to a more interactive location. Another addition is a limited-time art exhibit called Visions of Nature by the Nature Artists’ Guild at the Morton Arboretum. The exhibit will be on display upstairs at the Hidden Oaks Nature Center until the end of July.
Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group
On Thursday, Edward-Elmhurst Health announced the formation of Edward-Elmhurst Medical Group (EEMG). The group brings physicians, Advanced Practice Providers and ancillary providers all under one name with over 650 clinicians. Among the new members added to Edward-Elmhurst Health that now make up EEMG are the employees of Elmhurst Clinic. The group now consists of 50 locations throughout Cook, DuPage, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and Will counties. Also, it was announced Thursday that Edward-Elmhurst Health has been named one of the 15 Top Health Systems in the country by Merative for the fourth year in a row, with Elmhurst Hospital named in the 100 Top Hospitals list for the third straight year.
