Offices styled to complement Water Street design endorsed for downtown Naperville

Two vacant downtown houses at Main Street and Aurora Avenue could make way for a new office building — styled to complement the nearby Water Street District — if the Naperville City Council follows an advisory panel’s recommendation.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday night unanimously endorsed a proposal from john greene Real Estate to raze the two dormant buildings and construct a three-story office space for some of the firm’s employees and other businesses.

Plans for the 24,800-square-foot building would require rezoning to a TU transitional use district, a height variance, a parking lot setback reduction and a city design guideline variance to allow a building that is not “residentially styled.”

But commissioners green-lighted all of these, saying the office project could increase vitality on the south side of downtown and continue the positive trend of redevelopment in the area.

“The community is welcoming this,” commission Chairwoman Whitney Robbins said, referencing letters of support for the project received from the Downtown Naperville Alliance and Naperville Development Partnership. “I think it’s a beautiful project, and I think it goes well with everything else that’s gone on over there.”

The blocks around the property where john greene hopes to build have evolved with construction of the Water Street District — and its hotel, shops, restaurants and parking garage — and two phases of townhouses in the Charleston Row development.

“This is a transitional area that has been greatly improved over the past 10 years,” project attorney Vince Rosanova said.

Both the city’s Downtown 2030 plan and 2022 comprehensive plan identify the site as appropriate for offices, Rosanova said, and the nearly 44-foot height proposed for the building is in line with others nearby. Water Street’s tallest point, for example, is 65 feet, and a nearby Busey Bank reaches 48 feet, he said.

Anna Franco, with the city’s planning services team, said city staff support the height variance as well as the other variances requested for the office building. While all buildings in areas zoned for transitional use are required to be designed to match nearby residences, Franco said in this case, staff finds it appropriate to blend with nearby commercial properties instead.

“The downtown design guidelines recommend that buildings offer compatible interpretations of traditional building styles existing within the downtown area, particularly those along the same block,” she said. “The petitioner has designed the building to fit within the context of the surrounding area, including incorporating colors and material types that reference the Water Street District and other downtown buildings.”

If approved, john greene plans to use the new office as an addition to its existing south Naperville facility on Route 59.

Kristine Noren, vice president of operations for john greene Real Estate, said the firm’s john greene Realtor branch is intended to use the lower level of the building, with flex space, client meeting rooms and spots for independent contractors with the firm to work when they’re in the area. The second or third floor would be used by john greene Commercial with space for eight to 10 offices and flexible meeting rooms.

The only concern raised by the public was about the width of the alley and the turning radius onto Main Street on the north side of the development. Rosanova said the petitioner could “soften” the radius to provide more room for vehicles making the turn.

• Marie Wilson is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.