Elmhurst Townhomes Clear Another Hurdle

ELMHURST, IL – A proposed Elmhurst townhome development is poised to get the City Council's approval next week.

On Monday, the council's Development, Planning and Zoning Committee unanimously recommended approval of the development's zoning at 240 W. Lake St.

Last summer, the committee turned down the proposal, objecting to the density. That was after the developer, John Pembroke, owner of Island Construction, submitted a plan for 36 units.

Afterward, Pembroke scaled back the project to 30 units.

On Monday, Alderman Mark Mulliner praised the proposal.

"This is a much improved plan as far as I'm concerned," Mulliner said. "I think it has the potential to stimulate additional development down the block."

The City Council is expected to discuss the development at its meeting next Monday.

In 2021, the city agreed to provide the developer up to $950,000 for water and stormwater infrastructure, waiver of permit fees and vacation of an alley behind the property.

That money is to come from the neighborhood's tax increment financing district, or TIF, where growth in property tax money is designated for improvements in that area.

Last fall, the developer asked to nearly double the amount because the smaller development would mean less income. The added city money would establish a market return of 7 percent for the project, Pembroke said.

The Development, Planning and Zoning Committee recommended the extra money.

As a TIF, the neighborhood is considered "blighted." The property in question is the site of a Ford auto body shop, which has gone unused for more than a dozen years.