Lombard board reviewing plan for neighborhood near Yorktown
The creation of a walkable, mixed-use neighborhood in the largely vacant 15-acre area just north of Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard is getting closer to becoming a reality.
Last week, the village board approved a utility service agreement that will allow for the construction of a $1.6 million sanitary sewer lift station to service the area.
"It doesn't sound exciting, but it actually is," said Bill Heniff, the village's director of community development. "With new projects coming forward, this will allow those projects to move forward. It will provide additional capacity. We see this as a tool to advance further economic development."
The developer will cover the cost of the station, and in turn, the village will waive utility connection fees for select future projects in what is being called the "Yorktown Commons" development. Construction on the lift station and companion sanitary sewer lines is scheduled to begin in early 2017.
In turn, work on two of four parcels that make up Yorktown Commons may begin next spring. Heniff said construction on the first half of the project - which amounts to about $175 million and includes about 450 residential units - is expected to take 18 to 24 months.
The village board is currently reviewing proposals for Parcel 1, which contains about five vacant acres of land just south of Target, on the northeast corner of Grace Street and Yorktown Ring Road, and Parcel 2, where the long vacant Bamboo Room bar stands, on the southeast corner of the same intersection.
On Parcel 1, there are plans to construct a five-story, 375-unit apartment complex with a fitness center, outdoor common areas and a parking garage. The proposal for Parcel 2 is similar, but smaller, with 175 residential units in a seven-story complex.
"It's intended to hit the market niches and trends that are occurring on a larger scale, providing housing for adults that may be empty nesters, as well as young professional that are starting out," Heniff said.
Plans are undetermined for Parcel 3, which is part of the JCPenney parking lot on the southwest corner of Grace Street and Yorktown Ring Road and Parcel 4, where the largely vacant Yorktown Convenience Center is located, on the northwest corner of the same intersection.
However, the village board does have regulations for what can be put on the properties. Parcel 3 must contain retail and Parcel 4 will need to be a mix of residential and commercial.