River Forest is seeking community input on proposed development of a vacant village-owned parcel at 7620 W. Madison St.
While no agreements or approvals have been made, over the last year the village considered seven development proposals, selecting two finalists before ultimately choosing Chicago-based Five Thirty-one Partners, which submitted a plan for a five-story, 72-unit mixed-use building. The development would feature high-end apartments and first-floor retail space, along with 87 parking spaces.
According to Village Administrator Matt Walsh, there will be two open houses for residents to view renderings of the development and speak to Five Thirty-one and village personnel. The first open house will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak Ave., while the second will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the River Forest Civic Center, 8020 Madison St.
Additionally, residents can provide input and ask questions via the online form at vrf.us/Madison. Hard copy forms will also be available at village hall and the River Forest public library.
“We’ve heard from residents that they want to be involved through development review of the project, and we want to make sure that’s the case,” Walsh said.
So far, he added, commentary has been cautiously optimistic.
“It’s been generally a positive response,” he said. “There have been questions about traffic and parking and the buffering of the property.”
In a brief statement to Wednesday Journal, a small group of neighboring residents emphasized caution.
“Neighbors understand that something will be built, but it needs to be a true win-win for the community, not a deal skewed to benefit the developer,” the statement said. “The village should avoid rushing into a sweetheart deal that leaves neighbors with vacant residential or commercial space and none of the promised public benefits.”
Walsh said the property once housed a Lutheran nonprofit before the village purchased it in 2018 and demolished it in 2023. The village also purchased residential homes north of the east-west alleyway with an eye on the future. Once the buildings were purchased and demolished, the area was graded and currently has grass with wood-picket fencing.
“The village has a limited tax base and we don’t have a lot of opportunities to expand that tax base,” he said. “Additional retail space on the River Forest side (of Madison Street) would be a benefit. Our hope is that with the new residents and retail that the residents of south River Forest will have a new place to shop.”
The seven original proposals were similar in concept, he said – multi-family, mixed-use projects. None were commercial-only proposals, and just one would have been too large to fit the site. Another would have had to have been higher than five floors to accommodate the units it desired.
Walsh toured a Five Thirty-one project in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, and the village trustees visited as well.
“The quality of the project really stood out,” he said. “Very thoughtful and high quality.”
A request for comment about the project from Five Thirty-one Partners was not immediately returned.
