Clarendon Hills Condo, Hotel Plan Draws Opposition

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Some residents are opposed to a planned building for condos and a hotel in downtown Clarendon Hills, saying it's too close to Walker Elementary School.

As of Wednesday, more than 160 people have signed an online petition against the proposal.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, the village's zoning board plans to meet at Village Hall to discuss the plan.

In April 2024, the Village Board voted to buy the wooded land at 104 Walker Ave. for $1.4 million. The idea was to sell it to a developer for a residential-anchored complex, which officials say would result in increased property tax income for the downtown tax district.

In June, the village-owned property at 104 Walker Ave. is under contract for $1.8 million to Willowbrook-based Redwood Construction. This was after the village issued a request for proposals.

The developer's plan includes covered parking, ground-floor retail, 15 condo units and a dozen "boutique" hotel units. Project representatives say they have tried to be respectful to the neighborhood by planning recessed terraces and setbacks on the upper floors.

The project, the developer says, is designed to be walkable and rooted in the fabric of Clarendon Hills.

Resident Chris Vokaty, who organized the Change.org petition against the project, said in a statement on the petition page Wednesday that residents should attend the zoning meeting.

"Neighbors, there are now over 150 of us who agree that we do NOT need a hotel next door to our school or an oversized structure that invades privacy and only creates traffic and new problems," he wrote. "I am a young CH dad taking a stand for our kids and for my family."