Affordable Housing Still Sought on Wilmette Avenue

WILMETTE, IL - A preliminary plan application for an affordable housing development at the former American Legion site at 1925 Wilmette Ave. was submitted to the village of Wilmette last month. It’s a revised plan that comes a year after an initial one was scrapped by the state’s Housing Opportunity Development Corporation.

The proposal for Cleland Place now calls for the building of 16 units of affordable renting housing, a reduction in units by 20 percent from the original plan, according to Richard Koenig of the HODC. Two-bedroom units are also part of the new plan but not studio apartments, a change Koenig says was made in response to the input from the community during the first proposal.

“With larger units we will be able to accommodate more families but maintain our commitment to veterans and people with disabilities,” Koenig said.

With these positive changes in response to community input and neighbor involvement, this development will provide significant benefits to the community through the PUD process including: planned unit development.
Koenig says other positive changes resulting from the project include “innovative stormwater management” including a reduction of impervious surface, additional public infrastructure improvements including the elimination of a curb cut and creating units that are ADA accessible.

“Based on the market study there is a high demand for affordable rental housing in Wilmette,” Koenig said. “There are few rental properties in Wilmette with no affordable units for families and two affordable rental properties for seniors that are fully occupied.”

John Adler of the village’s Community Development department says the village will review the application to make sure it’s complete and then schedule the issue for discussion during a plan commission meeting likely to be held in either January or February.

The plan could be the subject of multiple meetings, as Adler points out the first proposal came before the commission twice before it was ultimately dropped.

Once recommended for approval or non-approval by the plan commission, the plan would come before the village board before being given the full go-ahead.

The space, already owned by the HODC, has been used in recent months by the Actors Training Center of the Wilmette Theater, Koenig said.

Rendering courtesy Housing Opportunities Development Corporation