Local Developers Continue Building Large-scale Projects in Roselle

At a time when major development projects significantly slowed or even ceased in many communities, development and redevelopment projects have continued to thrive in Roselle. And two of the companies doing the developing, Heritage and A New Leaf, are run by second- and third-generation Roselle natives.

According to Roselle Community Development Director Patrick Watkins, the Village of Roselle is fortunate to have such good quality developers in town, specifically A New Leaf Development and Heritage Development. "These quality builders are both responsible and believe in constructing for the long-term. This provides for quality development and construction. That is why both builders are still busy with projects during this economic down turn."

Todd Eichholz, president of Heritage Development and Management and Broker/Owner of Heritage Realty, has over 20 years of experience in the local development market - remarkable due to the fact that he is only 29 years old. Eichholz got his start at age 8, sweeping floors in the development projects owned by his grandfather's company, Roselle Commerce Development. By age 13, he was sitting in on business meetings run by his grandfather, Edwin Schwarzer, and his first solo deal was negotiating a lease renewal with a company representing Warren Buffet.

"I love everything about this business," Eichholz said, "Our priority is to build developments with a quality that we know will last. I used to ride around town in the car with my grandfather, and he'd point out properties to me 'I built that.. and that...' he had such a lasting pride in his work, and that pride continues with Heritage today. I absolutely love Roselle."

The biggest project that Heritage currently has in Roselle is the Cornerstone Plaza on Lake Street just east of Gary Avenue. As an all-in-one company, Heritage developed the site, signed the lease deals, was hired as a general contractor to do many of the build outs, and acts as the property management company. Cornerstone Plaza is home to Brunch Cafe, Jimmy John's, Lake Street Animal Hospital, and others, including the soon-to-be-opened Tilted Kilt.

According to Eichholz, the Cornerstone Plaza was designed to be a showpiece for the southwest part of Roselle along the Lake Street corridor. "We wanted to bring this development up to the next level, to make it taller and use more stone than most retail buildings, something that would catch your eye. We saw a need for something more upscale for Roselle, and we built it."

According to Eichholz, one of the best ways for him to see what is physically happening with development projects is to get his hands dirty. That means he is driving the plows and sweeping the job sites. All that, and he makes it a point to be home (in Roselle, of course) for dinner almost every night. "Family is so important - my wife and kids help keep me balanced."

Another high-profile development currently under construction is located on Irving Park Road, just east of Roselle Road. This project has been undertaken by A New Leaf Development, a company owned by brothers and Roselle natives Perry and Kai Janke. Having emigrated to the Chicago area in the 1950s, their father Richard Janke brought his skills as a carpenter and his German work ethic with him to Roselle when he settled here in the early 1960s. Richard Janke started Janke Construction in Roselle in 1969, building custom and spec homes, apartments and other residential buildings, and commercial developments.

"The buildings started small, and grew in size as the company grew," said Perry Janke. "My dad believes in building a product that he is proud of, and he was always a fair businessman to deal with. My brother and I learned a lot from him, which started when we would go to work with him on Saturdays when we were 6 or 7 years old."

While Richard and his wife Anni are now retired, the family business, which includes architecture, development, construction, and property management, continues with A New Leaf Development. With professional training as an architect, Perry, along with his brother Kai, founded A New Leaf Development Company in the mid-1990s as a sister company to Janke Construction. "We thought A New Leaf Development may help begin a new chapter for Roselle when we founded it," Perry said. "We acquired and began developing properties in Roselle's Town Center TIF. We began planning for the future for the heart of Roselle, to fill a void in the center of town that will be used by the entire community."

"The best part of working in Roselle, for us," Perry said "is that we grew up here, we've chosen to build here, and we built tremendous relationships in this community. Those relationships help us to make our product something that fills a need for our community. Our business is here in town, and we are able to stand by our work, and iron out the details. Our goal is to make sure our developments are successful and able to flourish."

Time lines call for the first phase of the new pedestrian-friendly retail and office space development on Irving Park Road to be completed in early 2011, with Itasca Bank and Trust opening its newest branch there on the southeast corner of Irving Park and Roselle Roads. Construction on phase two, just east of the current site, will commence after the initial development is filled.

Heritage is an all-in-one residential and commercial realty development and management company, located at 1350 Lake Street, Suites D & E in Roselle. Call (630) 980-0604, visit www.hrdgroup.net online, or Facebook.com/HRDgroup on Facebook. A New Leaf Development and Janke Construction are located at 57 E. Hattendorf, Roselle. Call (630) 582-4882 for details.