A two-story professional office building in Naperville’s downtown area could soon give way to a four-story residential condominium development, based on a project proposal that is working its way through city government.
At a meeting Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed and gave a favorable recommendation to move forward with the development at 222 S. Mill St. Lakewest Custom Homes, which has developed other projects in Naperville, is behind the project.
Project details outlined at Planning and Zoning Commission meeting
Speaking on behalf of the petitioner, Vince Rosanova gave commissioners a high-level overview of the project and its rationale. Rosanova is with the Naperville-based law firm of Rosanova and Whitaker and has been working with Lakewest on the plans in motion.
The site under the microscope is situated near a number of recognizable areas, including Naper Homestead Park and single-family residences to the north, the Riverwalk Community Center to the south and east, and Naperville Park District buildings, single-family residences, and Riverwalk Place Condominiums to the west.
“It’s certainly a transitional area,” Rosanova said. “There’s certainly a variety of uses in the area, which are all very complimentary.”
Lakewest is seeking a zoning change, which will be necessary for the project to move forward. The 222 S. Mill St. property currently is zoned as an office, commercial, and institutional district, and Lakewest representatives are asking for city approval to have it rezoned for secondary downtown use to permit the condo units.
Rendering of proposed condo building, image courtesy of Lakewest Custom Homes
The building materials, Rosanova said, are designed to compliment buildings in the immediate area. A stone base is proposed on the first level, with a brick exterior finish on the upper three floors. The upper floors are to house two units, each in the range of 3,300 square feet, and enclosed parking is planned for the first floor.
In his view, Rosanova said the existing building and its affixed zoning are antiquated. The office complex currently on the site was constructed in 1966 and will be razed to accommodate the new project, based on the plans submitted.
“It’s been well maintained over the years, but at this point, it’s getting close to 60 years old and is past its useful life, not to mention the challenges that we’ve seen with office uses throughout our community, even pre-dating COVID,” Rosanova said.
Speaking to the proposal on the table, Rosanova added, “It’s an ideal setting for a residential use in close proximity to open space, recreation, the beach, park district facilities — not to mention everything that our downtown has to offer.”
Neighbor weighs in with concerns during hearing
Commissioners heard from one resident during Lakewest’s hearing. Doreen Schweitzer, who is in close proximity to the Mill Street property, shared a number of concerns, including the size of the building. Schweitzer said other nearby neighbors echo her reservations about the plans presented.
“We’re not really looking forward to having a four-story building looking down into our backyards and into our windows,” Schweitzer said. “It is a negative, in terms of resale and property values. It just ruins our privacy.”
Schweitzer in her comments to the commissioners said she views the proposal as a pivotal moment for Naperville as other multi-story projects take root in the immediate area.
“I think it changes the nature of the downtown area, too,” Schweitzer said. “We have to decide: Do we want to be Oak Park, with lots of tall, dense-population buildings around the downtown, or do we want to be a suburb? I guess that’s a decision, as a city, that we have to make.”
Commissioners vote unanimously in support of proposal
Before voting unanimously in support of the plans as presented, commissioners said they were sympathetic to the points Schweitzer shared in her public comments. But the panelists also pointed to the broader trends at play and the desire to maintain the vitality of Naperville’s downtown corridor.
“I do agree, this will change the nature of that corner and that area,” commissioner Allison Longenbaugh said. “I do feel that this is a transitional corner, though. The northwest corner of Mill and Jackson has already been approved for B-5 (secondary downtown district), with this kind of building. It’s consistent with a downtown, where it has more density, and it has some taller buildings.”
Commissioner Mark Wright said he believes the condo project proposal is a reflection of the broader trends at work that has resulted in a metamorphosis within Naperville’s downtown over time.
“I think it’s important that it continues to change,” Wright said. “We have to keep up with the times, and keep our residents coming to downtown. I think multi-family is one of those areas where we’re going to see more of that in the downtown area because we need more residents in the area, not less. I do find that this particular project is pretty appropriate for the area that it was designed for.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation advances to the city council, where a final vote will be cast at an upcoming meeting.
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