Elmhurst Complex Would Mean Less Crime: Developer

ELMHURST, IL – A proposal to tear down an Elmhurst hotel to make way for a warehouse would mean less crime and have little effect on the area, the developer says.

Neighbors don't doubt the crime argument, but contend the development would bring more truck traffic and present hazards for nearby schoolchildren.

Under the proposal, Clarion Inn on South Riverside Drive in southwest Elmhurst would be demolished. A 32-dock warehouse would be built in its place.

Clarion Inn is next to Elmhurst's public works complex and diagonally across from Salt Creek Elementary School, which is the only public school in town that doesn't belong to the Elmhurst district.

In its February application, the developer, Houston-based Alliance Industrial Co., said the change in the property would significantly reduce crime and increase public safety.

Over the years, police have been routinely called to the hotel for such things as prostitution, drugs and domestic violence.

The developer contends the development will benefit Elmhurst.

"This redevelopment marks a nearly $30M investment into this corridor, which will signal confidence in the area and encourage additional private investment," the company's application said.

Behind the property is Salt Creek. On the other side of the creek are houses.

The developer's concept shows the docks facing the city's public works facility, not the houses.

On Feb. 4, Alliance held a required meeting with neighbors. Five residents attended.

According to Alliance's memo on the meeting, the residents expressed concern with noise, lighting and traffic.

In its responses, Alliance said the warehouse is expected to generate less noise than the hotel and the lighting will comply with the city code.

The company also said its paid consultant concluded the proposed development is expected to have little effect on traffic. The company said truck traffic would be routed to avoid residential streets.

In an interview Friday, resident Frank Vasquez said while neighbors have disliked the hotel, a warehouse would be more intrusive.

"They say it's designed to be low volume," he said. "It's designed to be sold to Amazon or Walmart."

He and other neighbors have formed Team Southwest Elmhurst in response to the developer's plan.

Their biggest concern is truck traffic. According to the traffic consultant's report, the company expects a total of 348 inbound and outbound trips a day.

Team Southwest contends the number is understated.

"The developer has not obtained, or refuses to disclose, a tenant," the group said in a statement. "They claim that the warehouse will not be a highly active operation. However, the building they have proposed is designed to support high-volume e-commerce. Nothing we have seen would prevent 24/7 operations."

The warehouse would sandwich the school, which is bordered by Route 83, between two heavy sources of noise and emissions, the group said.

Team Southwest said the city already knows about the problems with the nearby five-legged intersection that involves Route 83, Riverside Drive, Monroe Street and Frontage Road. Across the way is Villa Park's Walmart.

"There is a project to fix it, but until that is done, congestion will only get worse as additional traffic is routed through it," the group said.

The neighborhood also fears the noise will exceed state and local legal limits. It says no noise study has been provided to prove otherwise.

The group also says a high risk exists that residents to the south and east will see property value loss.

Opponents of the proposed development are urged to attend a Team Southwest meeting at 7 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion post at 310 W. Butterfield Road.

Three days later, at 7 p.m. March 24, Elmhurst's Plan Commission is scheduled to review the proposal at City Hall, Team Southwest said.