Aurora Approves 185 Energy-Efficient Townhouses For Ogden Avenue

AURORA, IL — A 185-unit townhouse development will be built on Ogden Avenue in Aurora, City Council voted.

Plans for "Kingsley Row," at Ogden Avenue and 75th Street, call for each home to use less energy for heating, cooling and lighting, plus improved indoor air quality, in an effort to reduce the development's environmental impact, according to a news release.

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The city praised Kingsley Row as a "first-of-a-kind housing development that is expected to adopt energy efficiency targets of the new Illinois Stretch Energy Code with zero City incentives."

M/I Homes said it would pursue a high-performance Energy Rating Index pathway, with a pre-construction modeling score of less than 40 and a verified post-construction score of 43 or lower.

The developer, M/I Homes, will build units in one of three designs: the Madison, a three-story interior townhome; the Pearson, a three-story end townhome; and the Taylor, a raised ranch end townhome.

In order to implement the new code, the developer projects each unit will cost $8,000 to $10,000 more to construct. Aurora will, as a result, offer its "Choose Aurora Homebuyer Assistance Program," which assists prospective homeowners who are at or below 120 percent of the area's median income.

"These upfront extra costs are also expected to decrease the cost of rising utility bills, leading to long-term savings for residents of the new development," city officials said.

M/I Homes is also contributing to infrastructure beyond the homes as part of the development agreement. The developer will construct three stormwater management facilities to provide sufficient stormwater storage for the subdivision.

The agreement also calls for the developer to fully fund and complete the Commons Drive project to extend the road from Ogden Avenue to 75th Street, connecting the existing north and south segments.

The connection will add a three-land cross-section with dedicated right- and left-turn lanes at Ogden Avenue as well as dual left-turn lanes at 75th Street.

"This is a revolutionary new development that balances responsible economic development with long-term City sustainability goals," Mayor John Laesch said in a statement. "I appreciate the work of M/I Homes and City staff to be on the cutting edge of new residential construction standards, while bolstering the City's economic activity along the critical Ogden Avenue and Illinois Route 59 corridor."

Development on the land has been almost 30 years in the making, city officials said. Aurora annexed the land in 1998 for auto and commercial purposes. In 2019, redevelopment agreement was approved with a company proposing an assisted living facility, independent living facility and other commercial use project with the help of tax increment financing. Aurora had planned to provide $7 to $9 million toward infrastructure improvements, but the deal later fell through, and the land continued to sit on the market until M/I Homes proposed Kingsley Row.