Mount Prospect plan commission backs row home proposal south of downtown

Mount Prospect stock of rental properties could continue to grow with the proposed construction of 29 row homes on 1.74 acres south of the village's downtown near Lions Park.

The village's planning and zoning commission last week recommended that the village board vote in favor of the planned Lions Park Row at 320 S. School St.

The new housing, located near the Maple Street Lofts development, would be split into six buildings and feature a mix of two- and three-story row homes. Units would include three bedrooms, a private entrance, a first-floor den and an attached two-car garage.

The development also would include green space, private drives and guest parking.

If the plan is approved by village trustees, construction would be expected to begin in September, with the goal of completion by October 2023.

An office building that has been home to the National Society of American Foresters for about 30 years would be demolished to make way for the homes.

"We think that there's a big market for larger rental units in suburban locations, especially if they're walkable, where you've got an attached two-car garage, parking, you've got three bedrooms, you've got another little sort of flex space that can be a gym or (for working) from home," David Schwartz, a representative of project developer SFP Mount Prospect, LLC, told the plan commission last week. "So, we think that there's a lot of utility in this kind of larger unit."

Rents, he said, will be about $3,200 to $3,300 per month.

There was no public comment at Thursday's meeting, but the village received an email about the proposal from resident Jeffrey Anderson.

"I think it is premature to consider building additional condominiums and/or townhomes in (the Lions Park) area," Anderson wrote. "Perhaps this is the time to try and maintain the Mount Prospect we have all grown to love."

The impact from the Maple Street Lofts on traffic and schools is still being evaluated, he added.

Connor Harmon, Mount Prospect's senior development planner, said the site is listed in the village's Downtown Implementation Plan as ripe for redevelopment, and multifamily housing is more suitable on the site an industrial property and would provide greater benefit to the downtown.