Developer wants to change plans for apartment building in downtown Des Plaines
A developer want to make significant changes to a controversial plan for a large apartment-and-retail building in downtown Des Plaines.
Instead of a seven-story building on the northwest corner of Graceland and Webford avenues, Barrington-based Mylo Residential Graceland Property has proposed a six-story structure, according to city documents. And instead of 131 apartments, the company wants to build 129.
That latter change might not sound like much, but the exact details indicate otherwise.
Rather than offering 17 studio apartments, 103 one-bedroom apartments and 11 two-bedroom apartments, the company now wants to make available 75 studio units, 41 one-bedroom units and 13 two-bedroom units.
The apartment-size changes were proposed to “better reflect market demand,” according to a memo from the developer. They would reduce the projected resident total to 194, from 224, documents indicate.
The company also wants to reduce the number of indoor parking spots by one to 178.
The changes will reduce construction costs, according to the developer’s memo.
If approved, the sum the developer will need to donate to the Des Plaines Park District to cover the likely impact on its services would increase to nearly $188,067, from about $177,105.
The changes wouldn’t be the first for the proposal, which has been criticized by many area residents for its size and other elements.
In September, the developer junked plans to create a park that would be privately owned but open to the public after being unable to reach a deal with the owner of the building that now stands where the park would’ve gone.
The apartment building itself will be constructed on the land that long had been home to the Journal & Topics Media Group’s headquarters and an adjoining municipal parking lot.
Resident-only amenities would include a fitness area, a rooftop swimming pool and a club room with a bar.
A public restaurant and lounge are planned, too. More details can be found at desplaines.org.
During preliminary discussions last year and in 2022, critics of the plan — mostly residents of the neighborhood where the building will be constructed — complained about traffic, aesthetics and other issues.
Because the development required city council approval, so do the proposed changes.
The council will consider the developer’s requests when it meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday at city hall, 1420 Miner St. The council usually meets on Mondays but the meeting was shifted one day because of Presidents Day.
The meeting can be viewed live online at desplaines.org, and a recording will be available afterward.