A new 71-unit multi-family housing development known as Tower Court Residences could soon take root on a 4.014-acre parcel in Naperville on the southeast side of 103rd Street and Route 59, on Tower Court.
Gorman & Co., an Oregon, Wis.-based specialty residential developer, plans to purchase the property from the City of Naperville through a local legal entity, Tower Court Naperville LLC. The project is being described as affordable housing units for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), as well as seniors aged 55 and up.
Quality and cost considerations for housing development
Ron Clewer, Illinois market president with Gorman & Co., discussed the various factors in play for a project such as Tower Court Residences. The intricacies included seeking tax credits from the state for the project, with the first attempt unsuccessful and the second one coming to fruition.
“I’m not going to say we thrive on obstacles,” Clewer said. “They are difficult. But in this particular case, we felt this development was absolutely worth the additional effort to not only meet the city’s requirements, but also meet the community’s needs for affordable housing for seniors and individuals with IDD.”
To adequately serve its clientele, Gorman & Co. will be charging lower rents at Tower Court Residences for people living on fixed or limited incomes. The tax credits were a key lynchpin to moving forward with the proposal to ensure all of the numbers worked out, Clewer said.
The company’s intent, Clewer said, is to build an attractive facility made of quality building materials that mesh with the surrounding area.
“We spend time at the beginning of the project, looking at ways we can use those quality items, because it is a project that is affordable,” Clewer said. “We understand that we have to keep our rents at a level where people can afford to live there.”
Further illustrating his point, Clewer added, “We make promises to the community that the place is going to look good, so we put more money on the front side with the quality materials so the ongoing maintenance is much less.”
Some of the anticipated amenities and features at Tower Court Residences include a community room, exercise facility, outdoor pet area, patio space and walking paths.
‘This is a very exciting day’
Advocates on behalf of the IDD community, as well as seniors, spoke enthusiastically about the Tower Court Residences project during a public hearing at a Naperville Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
“This is a very exciting day, I have to tell you,” Cheryl Butler, the mother of a son, Troy, with IDD, said. “From the parents’ perspective, we have been dreaming of this day for many years.”
Troy Butler also spoke to commissioners on his own behalf and said he desires to live in Naperville, independently, as he balances working as a productive member of the community alongside the realities he faces with an IDD condition.
“We fill many essential positions that make your life better. We are dependable and hard-working,” Troy Butler said. “We need some assistance, and that is what Tower Court will provide. Please help us live in the community we love so much.”
Arlene Orr, a member of the Naperville Senior Task Force, also spoke favorably of the project.
“The senior task force addresses gaps in seniors’ needs,” Orr said. “Affordable housing, of course, is one of them. It’s crucial that we have something like this for seniors.”
Commissioners laud the project as well
Before casting their favorable recommendation at the Oct. 16 meeting, several commissioners praised city staffers and Gorman & Co. representatives for their work in bringing the project to the conceptual phase.
“I am very impressed with this project,” Commissioner Oriana Van Someren, chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission, said. “I’m very impressed with the level of detail.”
Commissioner Derek McDaniel gave similar words of praise as he weighed in on the proposal.
“Personally, I’m very excited about this,” McDaniel said. “I think it’s a fantastic addition to Naperville. I think it’s very important that we continue to diversify our housing stock. You have my full support, and I’m very excited about this.”
The Naperville City Council will review the project at its meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Image courtesy: Tower Court Naperville, Gorman & Co. Project planners noted this was an early rendering – some alterations will be made for the finished project.
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