Apartment building proposed by Bartlett Metra station

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct Tim Kellogg's name.

Bartlett village board members raised no immediate objections Tuesday to a developer's proposed purchase of the southwest corner of Railroad and Berteau avenues from the village for construction of a 41-unit apartment building.

The 1.87-acre site has been considered ideal for residential development due to the Metra station right across the street, Village Administrator Paula Schumacher said during the concept review. But the previous developer that was working with the village on its Town Center project went out of business before it could be done.

After a recent solicitation for bids on the site the village has owned since 2004, Hinsdale-based Foxford Communities made the only formal offer of $662,500 - just above the minimum bid of $660,000.

Bartlett Economic Development Coordinator Tony Fradin told board members he was somewhat surprised to receive only one bid as the village had also received inquiries from two other companies.

But the village staff viewed the plans submitted by Foxford Communities favorably.

The proposed three-story building is designed to appear like nine adjacent row houses - 254 feet long and 77 feet wide. Its 20 one-bedrooms units would start at $1,500 a month and its 21 two-bedroom units at $1,900 a month.

Tim Kellogg of Foxford Communities said that after the sale closing and two months of site preparation, construction should take about a year.

The only formal action taken Tuesday was to refer further discussion and decisions to the next village board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17.

Some trustees committed to be tough on the notion that the 71 expected parking spaces were sufficient.

But Fradin said the project could spur other economic development rather than simply burden the area with more traffic and parked cars.

"We're thinking it's going to be more of a plus for the downtown area than a detractor," he said.