'Not A Ton Of Money' With Hinsdale Condos

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale trustees seem likely to approve a proposal for a dozen condos in the old Zion Lutheran School building.

"We have asked for everything we wanted, and you guys have been great in providing that to us," Trustee Luke Stifflear told representatives of the developer Tuesday. "There are literally no changes I would ask for."

For more than a year, the village has been considering a plan to renovate the school building at 125 S. Vine St., which has been vacant since 2009.

The project is proposed by South Bend, Indiana-based Holladay Properties, which also has an office in Clarendon Hills.

"We're saving a building," said Drew Mitchell, a partner with Holladay. "No one's going to make a ton of money here, but we're going to feel great. And I think it'll look really cool."

If the project is approved, the company aims to start construction by late summer next year. By Labor Day 2025, people should be moving in, Mitchell said.

"I'm notorious for not hitting my start dates because of Murphy's Law," he said. "I can't imagine that by this time next year, there's not a whole ruckus out there."

The village requires that 80 percent of the units have someone who is 55 or older.

Many suburbs, Mitchell said, are encouraging the development of condos and apartments near train stations. But Hinsdale is an exception, he said.

"Hinsdale is decidedly not focused aggressively on introducing a lot of multifamily product or rental product," he said.

The Village Board is expected to vote on the project in two weeks.

Last month, the Plan Commission unanimously voted to recommend the project.