Plan to convert Downers Grove office building into apartment complex goes before council Tuesday

The Downers Grove Village Council tonight is expected to vote on a proposal to convert an office building near 31st Street and Highland Avenue into a luxury apartment complex. Many residents who live near the building are opposed to the plan

The Downers Grove Village Council tonight is expected to vote on a plan to convert an existing office building located near 31st Street and Highland Avenue into luxury apartments. Some residents who live in subdivisions south and west of the building are strongly opposed to the plan and are expected to attend tonight’s meeting. They attended the July 7 council meeting to raise numerous objections to the plan including increased traffic on Highland Avenue, additional students at nearby elementary schools and undo stress on first responders.

The plan calls converting the existing office building into a 184-unit multi-family apartment building featuring 25 studio apartments, 68 one-bedroom apartments and 91 two-bedroom units. Interior conversion of the building will include the installation of full residential kitchens, in-unit laundry, modern HVAC systems and life-safety upgrades. Additionally, resident amenities will include shared lounge areas, fitness space, co-working spaces, an outdoor amenity deck, sports courts and a dog park.

The proposal was approved 6-1 by the plan commission. The developer anticipates the apartment complex will generate 12 additional students in Downers Grove Grade School District 58 and four more students at Downers Grove North High School. But some parents who attended the council meeting said the community cannot rely on those estimates.

“Numbers do matter. Every head count matters,” said District 58 parent Laura McPherson. “I’m just saying, as a parent that’s lived through it, the headcount matters a ton.”

Vince Carter said the the proposal ignores the concerns of neighborhoods south and west of the building. “Those pickle ball courts, if you’ve ever lived near one, are loud and obnoxious, and those will be very close to some of the houses in that neighborhood,” Carter said. Other residents argued that while the developer expects the apartment complex to generate less traffic than the office building, it will generate traffic day and night while most office traffic clears out at the end of the work day.

A traffic study completed by the developer found that the proposed residential units were projected to generate approximately 75% fewer trips than the existing office land use, if the office were fully occupied. Resident Paul Green asked commissioners to acquiesce to the wishes of residents who live near the building. “If you listen to the community that’s here at hand and you listen to the citizens of Downers Grove who live on Venard, who live on Drew, who part of Innisbrook, Orchard Brook, Oak Creek, there’s a resounding no, no, no, no.

no, no, no, no. Please don’t do this.” Green also voiced concerns about the apartment complex potentially offering affordable housing.

“And there’s another word for affordable and that word is cheap. If you start having cheap, you have to be very careful of the clientele that we’re going to be allowing into our very wonderful, traditional, family oriented village that we live in, that we love so much. “And then that type or clientele can also result in certain behaviors.

And once certain behaviors get in, I would say good luck in getting that out.” No plans for affordable housing at the complex have been included in the developer’s plans. Commissioners did not express similar opposition to the apartment complex.

They also addressed residents’ concerns. “It does get to me a little bit when people simply think we are working for developers because 90% of the decisions we make up here are for the residents, and this could also, I think, benefit residents,” Commissioner Chris Gilmartin said. “I understand some of the concerns.

We can review those.” Commissioner Mike Davenport focused on residents’ fears that the complex would generate more students than local schools could handle. “I’m not hearing this concern from District 58.

I’m not hearing this concern from District 99 with their elected leaders or their administration and staff,” said Davenport, a former member of the District 99 school board. “I know they have provided some commentary on this. And I know for fact if they had concerns about meeting a need we would hear from them.”

Commissioner Rob Roe turned to residents’ traffic concerns. “I have a problem with the traffic. All the issues that have been raised tonight,” Roe said.

“KOA gave us a traffic study. Just common sense. We have an office (that) is going to generate more cars coming in and out than a building with these people.

“Our traffic study tells us it’s going to be 75 (percent) less cars generated by this project. It’s at a lighted intersection. There’s no access to the neighborhoods.”

“I’m struggling, truthfully, with this argument about traffic up here tonight.” Commissioners Martin Tully and Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt did not attend the meeting.