Townhomes planned for unfinished Antioch development

Portions of an Antioch residential neighborhood that have been unfinished for more than a decade are being planned for revival with 80 townhouses.

Elmhurst developer Troy Mertz intends to build the townhouses at the Deercrest (formerly Neuhaven) community on the north side of Route 173 at Savage Road and rent them for between $1,800 and $2,000 per month.

Sixty-four townhouses would be grouped along Sprenger Drive and Brian Court on the south and west sides of the property. Fire hydrants are in place, but the area is overgrown and the deteriorating road is blocked by concrete barriers.

Sixteen townhouses would be built in the existing townhouse area, Mertz said.

"The suburban rental market is underserved and the trend is moving in our direction because urban rental rates are sky high," Mertz said.

Demographics are changing as millennials start families and the demand for suburban rentals in areas with quality school districts and amenities for youth sports programs and club activities increases, he added.

Deercrest consists of about 328 single-family houses and 38 townhouses. About 100 residents attended a recent village board committee of the whole meeting where Mertz presented his plans.

Concerns about the new buildings being rental only, as well as townhouse association membership, also were raised.

"It was a long meeting and people had very strong opinions," said Michael Garrigan, the village's community development director.

Residents aren't against development but feel Deercrest isn't a rental community and were miffed they weren't made aware of the plans, according to one attendee.

Garrigan said nothing prohibits rentals from being built in Deercrest. The meeting was scheduled as an informational session rather than a requirement, he added. There are some engineering issues to be addressed but otherwise, Mertz need just apply for building permits, he added.

"There's a lot of misinformation out there," he said. "We thought it would be best to bring it to the (village) board and let the developer make his case."

Since 2015, Mertz has been working with the village to resurrect scores of empty lots at Deercrest and the Clublands of Antioch, which is across the street on the south side of Route 173.

Both were Neumann Homes projects that together envisioned more than 1,000 mostly single-family houses. Many were built but many others remained on the drawing board since 2007, when Neumann declared bankruptcy.

The village restructured $26 million in debt to allow Mertz to complete the projects.

In Clublands, NVR Ryan Homes has opened model single-family houses for first-time and move-up buyers, and ranch-style, according to Mertz.

"We're seeing (building) permits every week," Garrigan said. "I think the village is pleased with the velocity."