The mixed-use development project at Lake and Lathrop in River Forest may finally take off, as the developer submitted new project plans on Dec. 16. These plans call for eliminating one floor from the original five-story plan, with 22 condominiums rather than 33 units. The building is still mixed use, with commercial on the ground level and residential above that.
The developer, Lake and Lathrop LLC, which is comprised of Sedgwick Development and Keystone Ventures, has been granted extensions in the past, most recently receiving permission from the village board to extend the permit application deadline from June 17, 2019 to Dec. 15, 2019, which pushed out dates for breaking ground and project completion.
These was some frustration from village trustees during this process, and Trustee Patty Henek voted against the extension. Trustee Tom Cargie voted for the extension but said he would not do so again.
“This is the last extension I will vote for,” said Cargie. “It seems like a continuous process of delays. There will be no more excuses moving forward.”
Although the original plan was for a five-story building, Village President Cathy Adduci said that since the development review board initially approved the 5-story development, the developer can build less; developers can go below but not above the original approved scope. These new plans, for a 4-story building, fall under the original approval since they are less than the approved structure.
In an email, Village Administrator Eric Palm said that Lake and Lathrop LLC has also sent the necessary reports and documents to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to ensure that soil remediation has been completed.
It will be about two to three months before the plans are fully reviewed by an architectural engineering firm outsourced by the village. If everything meets village approval, the permit will be given to Lake and Lathrop LLC sometime around May, at which time, per zoning code, the developer has 15 months to complete the project.
