Rowhouses approved in Glen Ellyn

A seven-unit rowhouse development will be constructed soon in Glen Ellyn along Duane Street.

The village board Monday night approved Duane Street Rowhouses LLC, which will be developed on a nearly half-acre tract at 460-478 Duane St. The property is located on the north side of Duane Street between Prospect and Glenwood avenues in the village's downtown business district.

Trustee Pete Ladesic did not support the project and wanted to explore opportunities for retail or mixed-use with residential and retail.

"I don't feel this is the highest and best use for this land," he said.

The property consists of seven lots, three of which have buildings on them, that were purchased between 1999 and 2007. The buildings will be torn down in April and construction will begin in early summer. The project will take about 18 months to be completed.

The new units, which will start in the low $900,000's, will consist of four bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, elevators and two-car attached garages. There will be two buildings with three combined units to the east, a driveway at the center and another four units to the west.

George Scigousky and John Saporito, owners of Duane Street Rowhouses LLC, were attracted to Glen Ellyn because the village has an affluent community.

"We're both really excited about it," Scigousky said. "I think it's going to add a level of reinvigoration."

Scigousky, who lives in Glen Ellyn, said there's been a lot of concern among residents about the lack of new commercial space and stores.

"To have a vibrant downtown," he said, "you need to have people that are going to spend money downtown."