Developer proposes seven-story apartment building in downtown Wheaton

The upcoming wave of redevelopment in downtown Wheaton could reach the south aspect of the railroad tracks that divide the metropolis heart.

An area house to a blend of longtime company-dependent organizations would acquire on an completely new glance with a proposed apartment setting up inside walking distance of the Metra station.

A Deerfield-primarily based developer needs to make a 7-story advanced that would address nearly an whole city block bounded by Liberty Generate to the north, Hale Street to the east, Willow Avenue to the south and Wheaton Avenue to the west.

Historically, that portion of the downtown experienced not held speed with the building exercise and renewal efforts on the north facet of the teach tracks.

But the apartment plans display how the city’s $35 million investment in new downtown infrastructure and streetscape is sparking more personal development, officers say. The city’s organizing and zoning board is established to hold a community listening to on the venture on April 26.

“It really is proper there in the middle. You search at its proximity to the teach station. It can be walkable to all areas of the downtown,” Mayor Phil Suess explained of the website. “I feel it can be a excellent instance of how what we have performed in the downtown has inspired individuals to appear in and make investments.”

Banner Serious Estate Team hopes to capitalize on that environment by redeveloping much more than 2 acres of downtown house. If concluded, the 306-unit complicated would mark the initially huge-scale housing venture in the core organization district considering that the Wheaton 121 flats had been crafted about a ten years ago.

“Wheaton is a household group. We have persons occur below, they raise their family members,” Suess stated. “As their families get older, they’re searching to downsize, but they want to keep in the community. I imagine this sort of development is reflective of that pattern, not only in Wheaton but in other suburbs as well.”

The undertaking would involve razing structures with some links to the city’s smaller-town past. Four constructions are eyed for demolition: the Egg Harbor Cafe cafe that employed to property the loved ones-owned Wheaton pharmacy and soda fountain, a 4-story brick business office making previously occupied by Wheaton Bank & Belief, the Ideal Issue consignment retailer, and a residence also applied as offices on Willow Avenue.

In their location, the developer would make a seven-story complex with an outdoor courtyard and 4,502 sq. toes of to start with-floor professional area. A new Egg Harbor Cafe would fill a part of the building’s initially floor, in accordance to a job narrative sent to the city.

Strategies also call for an indoor parking garage with 429 parking areas for the building’s residential tenants. A single entry level to the parking garage would be on Wheaton Avenue, whilst the other would be on Willow Avenue.

“Presented the matter property’s location close to downtown and the proximity to the Metra train station, it is predicted that many of the models will have confined require for parking,” states the developer’s zoning application to the town. “In order to reduce targeted traffic difficulties, just about every flooring of the parking garage will have entry on independent streets.”

Banner Authentic Estate is searching for zoning aid for the building’s peak, among many other variations. Metropolis code enables a most top of 4 tales or 50 feet in the fundamental zoning districts.

“However, the metropolis has previously accepted heights up to 82 toes when it accredited the (prepared device progress) for the First Trust constructing, and the Courthouse Sq. multifamily advancement was authorized at seven tales and 70 ft,” the developer’s software states.

A Banner True Estate govt did not immediately return a request for remark.