Elmhurst's 'Teardown Alley' Bemoaned; Costly Homes Replace Modest Ones

ELMHURST, IL – An Elmhurst man called his street "teardown alley," a constant construction zone where costlier homes are built.

Bill Pearch wants that to change.

At Monday's City Council meeting, he told aldermen that he and his wife have lived in the house for the last couple of decades.

Their home is in the 900 block of South Hillside Avenue, in Elmhurst's southwest corner.

He referred to their house as modest. County records show the home is now assessed at $420,000, up from $360,000 in 2021.

In 2006, Pearch said, Hillside saw one teardown and four expansions, all of them keeping the look and feel of the block.

In the last six years, he said his block has seen no expansions and 10 teardowns, with two more expected.

"For more than 600 consecutive days, we have been living in the middle of an active construction zone – heavy machines, crews, tree removals, construction materials dropped off, and our house shakes," Pearch said during the council's public comments period.

Portable toilets are a foot from their property line, and work starts promptly at 7:01 a.m., he said.

"The demolition of the house directly across the street began in June 2024," he said. "The trees started falling at the house south of us in autumn 2025. Demo(lition) starts in June for the house on the north side."

That'll end up being almost three years of constant construction next to his house, he said.

He said real estate agents tell them that the construction of the homes is great for their property value.

"We only get increased property value when we sell. We don't want to move, but we will still get increased property taxes," Pearch said.

The bigger homes, he said, block views of the sky and trees.

He blamed the situation on city policies. He suggested officials form a housing commission to focus on incorporating all types of housing and budgets.

"These new homes that loom over the block are $1.5 million, four times the average home price in the U.S. and out of the realm for almost all," Pearch said.

City officials did not respond to Pearch's comments. But they have acknowledged the lack of affordable housing in town.

In Elmhurst, the average home sale price has spiked to $761,000, up from $410,000 five years ago.