St. Charles OKs houses where offices, shops were once planned

What was once envisioned as a 46-acre place for people to work and shop in western St. Charles will now be finished out with single-family houses.

The St. Charles City Council voted 9-1 Tuesday night to amend the plan for the Corporate Reserve subdivision, which is on Main Street west of Randall Road.

The owner will build 78 houses on roughly 28 acres, according to the revisions.

When it was planned in 2008, Corporate Reserve was supposed to have two five-story office buildings, four single-story office buildings, and three parking decks. Only two single-story office buildings were constructed. There are no shops or restaurants.

Developers asked in 2012 for permission to build 407 apartments. A market study indicated the site would be attractive, due to its proximity to forest preserves and shopping and public transportation along Randall. The study also said apartments could rent for an average of $1,475. Neighbors living in an adjacent subdivision of single-family houses protested that idea; aldermen unanimously rejected a scaled-down plan that would have built 231 apartments.