'Very Strong' Interest In Clarendon Hills Site

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Developers are showing "very strong" interest in a downtown property that Clarendon Hills bought earlier this year, an official said.

In April, the Village Board voted to buy the wooded land at 104 Walker Ave. for $1.4 million. It contains a vacant house.

On Monday, the board is set to consider paying about $13,900 to demolish the house.

The village evaluated the site after a break-in and a resident's injury, Village Manager Zach Creer said in a memo this week. It was determined to be "unsafe to keep standing," he said.

"If staff is unable to secure a developer out of existing interested (parties), we recommend a (request for proposals) process to allow the Board to review multiple development proposals," Creer said.

Even a residential-anchored development would result in millions of dollars in increased property tax income for the downtown tax district, Creer said.

Over the summer, South Bend, Indiana-based Holladay Properties expressed interest in residential and business uses for the Walker Avenue site, according to the village. Creer told Patch on Friday that Holladay withdrew its application after failing to get financing approval from investors.

"We have several other developers interested," Creer said in an email. "The Village is prioritizing options that result in long-term sales tax revenues and add to the downtown business community over purely residential development. Regardless, the Village expects to get the full price for the land back in any development deal, with a significant financial windfall from future tax revenues over the existing vacant home."

In the past, developers' plans for the site have fallen through. Neighbors have expressed concerns about parking, among other issues, with any development there.

In 2023, a developer proposed a five-story apartment complex for the site, with a restaurant on the first floor. But the developer later dropped the plan.

The property was owned by Evelyn Kapicka, who died at age 97 in February 2023.