I attended two open houses held by the village of River Forest. After speaking to the developer and village employees, many questions were answered. However, I still have concerns and more questions after listening to the village board meeting on Jan. 26.
We voiced our opinions on what we wanted to see there and what we didn’t want. The zoning is limited to three stories for a reason. Anything taller doesn’t fit our neighborhood. Five stories with 72 units packed into that area is extreme. If this builder can’t make something smaller on that lot, it’s time to find a different builder. I’m concerned about the traffic, the parking and the infrastructure having so many units and residents.
The property is being promoted as multi-use, but the plans are for only one retail space (3380 square feet), or two at 1500 square feet, I was told. That won’t make a big difference for the tax revenue benefit as it is being sold to us.
The village wants “the project to align with River Forest standards and represent a sound, sustainable investment that is consistent with our community’s quality of life.” How can a rental building of this size contribute to our quality of life? We voiced our desire for something to be built there that the entire village could benefit from. A community gym or a restaurant. Even housing, but not five stories and 72 units. Townhomes similar to the ones on the north side of Lake between Franklin and Ashland, the northwest corner of Lake and Park or the northwest corner of Park and Madison would fit into the community nicely.
The 15 outdoor parking spaces off the street for guests and business parking would not be nearly enough. I can see patrons of businesses along Madison Street in Forest Park using all of those. With townhomes, all the parking could be inside. The two lots that were purchased by the village where parking is now suggested could be nice backyards for the townhomes. Or a “pocket park” like the one the village is planning across the street from village hall.
If the project goes through as proposed, it will be another step away from River Forest’s small-town charm. After re-watching the village board meeting, here are a few of my questions and thoughts:
1) Why did the village choose a developer that only does rentals? Viktor, the developer, stated they are not condo builders, only high-end rentals. Condos could work for small structures, he said so why not hire a developer to build three-story condos or better yet, a few high-end townhomes like the ones I mentioned earlier?
2) The developer also said, regarding rentals, that young people don’t want ownership. They want the ability to move in a year or two. So we can expect a lot of turnaround and even more traffic with renters moving in and out in that area. I would prefer ownership where residents can put down roots and have an interest in the community and neighborhood.
3) I was told a restaurant is out of the questions for the “mixed-use” retail space. What did they think might go in that space? “Maybe a coffeeshop.” Dunkin Donuts is right across Madison, Black Fodder Coffee is four blocks north, and U3 Coffee, Kribi Coffee and Starbucks are all east on Madison in Forest Park before Harlem.
4) If V-3 (or 531 Partners LLC which was the name of the developer before I learned differently at the board meeting) uses their own money, and have no investors as they stated, will this project take priority over others they are bidding on? Are we sure they have enough of their own funding to support all of that? I’m concerned since we saw what happened on Lake and Lathrop.
I hope other residents ask questions and attend meetings.
Trudi Ross
River Forest resident
