Naperville council unanimously rejects performing arts center

"Risk" turned out to be the four-letter word that sunk a proposal for a large-scale performing arts center near downtown Naperville Tuesday.

Councilmen, one after another, said they fear the risk associated with the Omnia nonprofit group's plan for land near the Fifth Avenue train station. The proposal includes a performing arts center, parking garage and residential and retail units.

"There is not one major flaw in the Omnia presentation, but a series of unfortunate events that add up to impending disaster," Councilman Grant Wehrli said.

Omnia has been working on the proposal for several years. The plan calls for a $190 million performance center and commuter parking garage. The arts center would include a 2,700-seat performance hall, 950-seat second performance space and 200-seat studio space.

It also calls for a developer to build residential units including 500-600 condos, 45-55 townhouses and 12 single-family homes as well as stores and restaurants.

"I think that what Omnia offers is a vital addition to the beauty and amenities of Naperville as we know it now," supporter John Conmy said Tuesday.

But nearby residents have long expressed concerns about traffic, density and the 130-foot height of portions of the development.

"This just strikes us as just a deep, deep contrast, a deep impact to our neighborhood," said Steve Grosskopf, president of the East Center Homeowners Organization. "I think it's analogous to putting something that modern or that big on the Riverwalk."

The developers would pay for their own residential and retail portions of the project. But much of the funding for the arts center and garage would come from the city issuing $130 million in bonds through a tax increment financing district.

In a TIF district, the property tax revenue is frozen for up to 23 years. While the property value of the area goes up during that time the additional tax dollars it generates would go toward development.

Councilmen expressed concern with such a setup, fearing the city would be on the hook for the project if it didn't do as well as Omnia was predicting.

"We have fiduciary responsibility to all taxpayers and I'm not prepared to put them at risk," Councilman Doug Krause said. "Even though it's a great project I think it's the wrong location."

Omnia President Bev Patterson Frier asked the council Tuesday to take more time to continue to study the proposal. She and other supporters say they believe it would have the support of residents and councilmen if those groups had a better understanding of it.

"It has never been Omnia's intent to burden the taxpayers for the Omnia plan," Patterson Frier said. "We are taxpayers, too."

Councilmen voted 8-0 to deny the Omnia proposal. Councilman James Boyajian was absent.

Some suggested if Omnia wants to continue to pursue the development it could choose to go through the regular proposal process. The plan bypassed the plan commission and the city's engineering, TIF eligibility and other technical studies to find out if there was council interest.

No: Omnia president says plan wasn't meant to burden taxpayers