Mayor, election challenger at odds over Des Plaines development
Des Plaines Mayor Matt Bogusz and 6th Ward Alderman Malcom Chester, who's challenging the mayor in the April election, offered opposing visions for the city's development Tuesday, when the candidates squared off before a city council vote.
A decision to approve a large apartment complex near the intersection of East River and Golf roads was largely expected, but Chester made a last-ditch effort to halt the plan.
The candidates' exchange previewed a choice Des Plaines voters will have to make April 4: whether the city's development is on the right track under Bogusz or new leadership is needed.
Two weeks earlier, Bogusz had cast the deciding vote to let a developer continue plans to build the 236-unit apartment complex. Dissenting aldermen argued the city should block the apartment complex and seek out businesses to occupy the 7.5-acre plot.
Chester, a lobbyist and first-term alderman, renewed the argument Tuesday. Residential development costs cities more and captures less tax revenue than commercial properties, Chester said. He estimated the city council had approved housing for 2,000 new residents.
"I have a lot of concerns about the costs of all these people once they start asking for services from the city," Chester said. "And in particular, I'm concerned about police and fire."
Spurring commercial development has been a key part of Chester's campaign, and putting a large apartment complex on the land where United Stationers, a product distributor, used to do business contradicts his platform.
But Bogusz argued the city has been tackling problems of blight and also has broken ground on commercial properties, including the Mariano's grocery store. The former United Stationers property is vacant, and something is better than nothing, Bogusz said.
"I do not believe any of these projects are taken lightly, and I do believe it is this organization's goal to develop what needs development in Des Plaines," Bogusz said. "The projects we have broken ground on this year represent decades worth of blight we are fixing."
Recently, residential developments have been going up across the city. Work is underway on 58 downtown townhouses developed by Lexington Homes. Crews broke ground in late November on Buckingham Place, a $100 million complex with 24 townhouse buildings with 127 units and a five-story, 270-unit apartment building at 800 E. Northwest Hwy.
On Tuesday, Bogusz again broke the council's tie to let the developer continue plans to build the apartment complex. The developer must submit a detailed plan to city staff members within a year. The city council then would need to grant final approval.