The number of permits issued by River Forest village government to residents, commercial developers and local businesses has jumped about 70 percent since 2013.
In fiscal year 2013, the village issued just under 900 permits. In fiscal year 2017, that number was 1,527, according to an April 2017 building and zoning report from the village.
That increase is in part a reflection of a better overall economic environment, a healthier and more stable housing market, and a readiness by River Foresters to renovate, remodel and expand their homes, according to Lisa Scheiner, River Forest’s assistant village administrator.
“Since the economy has improved, people are a bit more willing to invest in their homes,” she said. “People are less afraid about whether or not they are going to get a return on their investment.”
For Scheiner, macro-economic factors explain the increase, although the village has worked to improve customer service.
“There was a push a few years ago to make our process as customer friendly as possible,” she said. The village gives out same-day “express” permits for small projects, for instance, like window upgrades, to property owners living outside the village’s historic district.
April permit activity was a mix of residential and commercial projects, with construction ranging from basement remodels to garage construction, plumbing work electrical installations inside Whole Foods on Lake Street, and a new social hall at St. Vincent Ferrer.
According to the April report, permit revenues exceeded expectations. Village officials had projected just under half a million dollars from permit fees, about $487,000 for fiscal year 2016-2017. But actual revenue nearly doubled that estimate, totaling $1,073,498. Permit fees go into the village’s general fund, Scheiner said.
“It was definitely more than we anticipated,” she said. “A lot of planned developments came to fruition.”
Several big projects, including new condos on Madison Street, the revamped Community Bank branch on Lake Street as well as projects at Concordia University’s campus contributed to the spike in revenue.
“We tend to project revenues conservatively here,” Scheiner said. “We don’t want to balance the budget on planned developments.”
There are several other pending projects still in the works, including at Dominican University and the River Forest Park District.