FitzGerald Associates Architects Unveils Design for Luxury Mixed-Use Development in Downtown Clarendon Hills

FitzGerald Associates Architects, a leading national residential and commercial design firm, announced its revised plans for a new mixed-use development in downtown Clarendon Hills, reflecting community input and building on the firm’s successful track record of creating award-winning designs for transit-oriented projects throughout suburban Chicago. The project is being developed by a partnership between Chicago-based Pine Grove Partners, LLC and Centrum Partners, LLC.

The proposed four-story transit-oriented development at 9-23 Walker Ave. – one block west of the Clarendon Hills Metra station – includes 35 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments, seven innovative live/work units, 800 square feet of first-floor commercial space and enclosed parking for 42 vehicles. The building’s parking will also include a dedicated space for a car sharing service to place a vehicle for resident and community use.

“We worked closely with members of the Clarendon Hills Downtown Design Review Commission on recommended changes to earlier versions of the development to ensure the final design would blend seamlessly with the surrounding streetscape and advance the goals set forth in the village’s master plan,” said FitzGerald President Mike DeRouin. “The building’s primary façade detailing echoes the look and massing of many buildings downtown. Also, the building’s height now steps down along the south edge to harmonize with the smaller-scale buildings nearby. The current design reflects several enhancements to the development’s exteriors through greater use of masonry and alternating brick colors.”

According to DeRouin, the development, which helps provide a transition between downtown Clarendon Park’s commercial district and neighboring residential areas, will enhance the overall aesthetic of downtown by screening from public view the back end of properties located on adjacent streets and adding landscaping reflective of the village’s existing gardens and parks. It will also create a new plaza on the south end of the development, where the building’s primary entrance will be located.

The two-story live/work units are designed to meet the growing demand for such space from the burgeoning number of work-at-home professionals and independent contractors in Clarendon Hills. At the same time, these spaces will further enliven Walker Avenue with light commercial uses, a key element sought by neighbors.

“We are pleased to help in the revitalization of downtown Clarendon Hills by converting this long-vacant parcel into a vibrant mix-used development,” said Brad Smith, managing member of Pine Grove Partners. “This development will not only re-activate this particular property, but also will help energize downtown’s business district by bringing affluent new residents to the area. This project reflects our strong faith in the future of Clarendon Hills.”

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Founded in 1919 as Rissman & Hirschfeld, FitzGerald Associates Architects has nearly a century’s worth of experience in site planning and design, with a portfolio that includes a variety of residential projects ranging from high-rise multifamily developments to single-family homes. In recent years, the firm has designed a number of transit-oriented developments (TOD) in Chicago and surrounding suburbs to meet the evolving housing needs of area residents.

FitzGerald has won numerous design and community awards for its developments, including Midtown Square, an apartment community in the heart of downtown Glenview, which in 2013 received the Best Block Award from the Illinois Congress for the New Urbanism. Last year, FitzGerald received the Urban Land Institute 2015 Chicago Vision Award in the Suburban Residential Development for its work on Wheaton 121, a mixed-used luxury rental TOD in downtown Wheaton, Ill.

“As the number of suburban TODs has risen over the years, so too has the demand for a higher level of design – today’s TODs offer a much greater emphasis on architecture and style than those of even five years ago,” said DeRouin. “From the choice of exterior materials and floor plan layout to its interior finishes and engineering, this development’s design exceeds many other suburban TODs and should be attractive to a number of people seeking a sophisticated maintenance-free lifestyle in Clarendon Hills.”

About FitzGerald Associates Architects

FitzGerald Associates Architects is an award-winning architecture and design firm specializing in new and rehabilitated residential, commercial and office space. Founded in 1919 as Rissman & Hirschfeld, Chicago-based FitzGerald Associates Architects currently employs more than 40 architects, designers and planners with expertise in adaptive reuse, architectural design, interior design, building conditions, building information modeling, development advisory, site planning and design, and sustainable design. FitzGerald’s portfolio comprises master-planned communities; low-, mid-, and high-rise residential buildings; commercial and industrial facilities; banks; restaurants; retail spaces and more than one hundred conversions. Widely known for its historic renovation and adaptive-reuse work, FitzGerald continues to be one of the most active architecture and design firms in the Midwest almost 100 years after its doors opened.