Senior Apartment Complex Planned For Hinsdale

HINSDALE — A developer is planning a 262-unit apartment complex for senior citizens, which one Hinsdale official called the largest real estate project that the village has considered in more than a decade. It will meet an increasing need for such housing in the area, the developer said.

The plan for the development was outlined at Tuesday's Village Board meeting. The complex, called Clarendale of Hinsdale, would be at the northwest corner of Ogden Avenue and Adams Street and just east of the Route 83 interchange. It will be on the site of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, which is described as a non-denominational Christian organization. That building would be torn down.

The developer is Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies. It has built Clarendale complexes in three other Chicago suburbs — Addison, Algonquin and Mokena. Over the last five years, the company said it has invested more than $900 million in senior living developments. The local investment is estimated at $95 million; the complex is expected to hire a full-time workforce of slightly more than 100.

The project would cover nearly 17 acres in Hinsdale and an additional 6 acres in neighboring Oak Brook. Representatives of the company said they approached Hinsdale first because the village's portion is the driving force of the project. They said the company has not formally approached Oak Brook.

"We believe this location will have a competitive advantage," said Dave Erickson, a Naperville-based vice president for Ryan Companies. "Having a Hinsdale address is a good thing."

The 262-unit complex would include 122 suites for independent living, 85 assisted living suites, 38 units for memory care and 17 independent villas. All would be rentals. The project would consist of 60 percent green space, according to the plan.

More than 23,000 seniors live within 15 minutes' driving time of the proposed complex, Erickson said. Within that same radius, an overwhelming majority of the senior living units are occupied. Of the 1,275 units for independent living, for example, 97 percent are taken, according to the company. That's a high occupancy rate, which demonstrates significant demand in the market, Erickson said.

One of the biggest challenges for the project is that nearly a quarter of the property is floodway or wetlands. The company must go through FEMA and DuPage County to get that remapped, which would involve moving dirt and paperwork, Erickson said.

According to the plans, the buildings fronting Ogden Avenue would be two floors. Farther away from Ogden, the structures would rise to three stories, then four. That may become a significant issue, officials said, because building heights have been a hot topic before.

The company is approaching the village board about the project because it needs various waivers from zoning regulations.

Village board member Luke Stifflear said the board must find the project has no adverse impact on nearby properties. He said it was the "largest real estate project that we have looked at in more than a decade." Officials expect the approval process could take much of the next year.

The board was asked to send the company's requests to the Plan Commission, which is the first step for approval. But Village President Tom Cauley recommended members delay a decision until it next meets in two weeks. He said he wanted to make sure the board liked the idea of the complex before the company spends a lot of money in the approval process.

"If residents have strong views about this, they can be heard at the front end," Cauley said.

Members didn't vote on the issue. The board next meets at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Memorial Hall, 19 E. Chicago Ave.