Gateway Centre, West Chicago work together
Since 2002, Gateway Centre Development and the city of West Chicago have worked together closely to update a significant stretch of Main Street. Their partnership has added new low-maintenance housing to the center of town that didn't exist before and also has improved the infrastructure of the Main Street corridor.
"Before we became involved, West Chicago's downtown was in need of a rejuvenation of some of its older buildings," said Jim Madden Jr., president of Gateway Centre Development.
The first phase of Gateway Centre Development and West Chicago's ambitious project began in August 2002. The plan called for a new retail building, a multiuse building and a high-density midrise residential building.
The developer also would contract for, on behalf of the city, several new municipal amenities, including a new water main, paving along Main Street, curbs and gutters, paver block sidewalks, old town streetlights and landscaping. Working with ComEd, the city removed all the power poles on the north side of Main Street and had them run underground on the street's south side.
Meanwhile, a local grocery store, Tampico Market, benefited from a new facade and parking lot configuration in the fall of 2002. The building's front was removed and a new brick and stone facade was installed, topped by a "standing seam" steel roof. The grocery store's new front exterior would be mirrored on the south side of Main Street by Gateway's new buildings being constructed at 520-536 and 560-572 Main St.
In late fall 2002, ground was broken for the latter building, which would become a 5,000-square-foot retail center, completed in the spring of 2003. The new building sported a brick and stone exterior with a portico overhanging the front, complete with a standing seam steel roof. Today, this building houses a Domino's Pizza, a postal store, a party favors/candy store and a bakery.
"The following summer, construction began on our new multiuse building at 520-550 Main St.," Madden Jr. said.
The building was planned as a two-story structure that would house 11,000 square feet of commercial/retail space on its first floor and, on its second floor, 15 loft-style condominiums that would make up The Lofts at Gateway Centre. The condominium residences were patterned after successful urban loft residences prevalent in Chicago.
The building was finished in spring 2004, the retail portion was filled and The Lofts at Gateway Centre's condos were virtually sold out by the end of 2004.
"In the spring of 2005, we began the heavy lifting on our next phase of the project -- The Gallery at Gateway Centre," Madden Jr. said.
Consisting of two four-story elevator-equipped residential buildings on the north side of Main Street, The Gallery at Gateway Centre would house 39 "traditional-styled" condominiums in each building and a small, 2,000-square-foot commercial establishment. Currently, 26 of the first 39 homes have been sold.
By spring 2008, Madden Jr. and crew aim to begin construction on the second Gallery at Gateway Centre midrise building, which is expected to be finished by late 2008.
Buyers can select from seven traditionally styled condominium designs in all at The Gallery of Gateway Centre, each with one or two bedrooms and one or two baths. Standard amenities include 9-foot ceilings, a fully applianced kitchen with pantry, in-unit laundry, private locker and one indoor heated parking space. Sizes vary from 870 to 1,335 square feet, and base prices range from $174,900 to $252,900.
The Gallery at Gateway Centre sales information center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To reach the community and visit the furnished model, take I-88 west, exit at Route 59, head north five miles to Main Street and turn left to the sales office at 515 Main St. Or take Route 64 (North Avenue) west to Route 59, head south 1.5 miles to Main Street and west one block to the sales office. For more information, call (630) 562-1884 or visit www.wegocondos.com.