Arlington Market condo plan in trouble

Condos aren't selling at Arlington Market, so developers want to give row homes a try.

Mark Elliott brought a new plan for the northwest corner of Dryden Place and Kensington Road to plan commissioners Wednesday.

The new plan would shrink the commercial space, add a drive-through for a restaurant and replace 110 condos with 67 row homes.

The economy, lousy housing market and saturation of condos in the area all caused the change, Elliott said.

"There are a flood of condos in the area -- condos that are built and ready to go," he said. "It's a real problem."

Commissioners didn't vote on Arlington Market's changes on Wednesday. The plan still needs to go before the full plan commission for a vote before heading to the village board for final approval.

Village planner Matt Dabrowski said his staff has some problems with the new plan.

For one, Dabrowski is not convinced Elliott will have any better luck selling row homes verses condos.

"We have some concerns about the market in general," Dabrowski said. "There are several row homes under construction now and others going through the planning process."

The Arlington Market condos were supposed to sell for about $375,000. The two- and three-bedroom row homes would sell for between $425,000 and $450,000, Elliott said.

Plan commissioner Michael Wolfe said village officials should give Arlington Market developers a break.

"This is a living, breathing example of the effects of our current economy," Wolfe said. "From a village standpoint, we should want to make sure this project moves ahead and is not stuck in the mud."

If the village board denies the changes, Elliott is not sure developers will move forward with the plan.

"I don't have a crystal ball," he said after the meeting.

For the retail portion, Elliott re-signed leases with Eros Restaurant, Subway Restaurant, Signature Cleaners and Ben Franklin Bank, which have all been relocated on the site.

So far only underground work has been done for the residential portion, he said.

The plan also included signing a 7,500-square-foot grocery store. About four years ago, a smaller Jewel grocery store closed in the Arlington Market site.

Elliott said he still wants to attract a grocery store but hasn't signed a lease with anyone yet.

The Arlington Market plan was first proposed in 2003 and went though countless changes during the planning process. When the plan was approved in August 2006, more than 100 residents attended the village board meeting, which lasted until midnight.

Most of the residents who addressed the board didn't like the plan and spoke out against the number of homes that will be built. Residents against the plan also wanted a larger grocery store and said the plan would have a negative effect on their property values.