A ‘true downtown development’: Lisle approves Pulte townhouse plans

A prominent residential developer is set to build dozens of townhouses in Lisle, south of Ogden Avenue and east of downtown Main Street.

In their last meeting of 2025, Lisle trustees approved plans for Arbor Station, one of the most significant developments in the area in years. Pulte Homes is poised to construct 14 townhouse buildings with 66 total units — “a true downtown development,” Trustee Thomas Duffy said.

Mayor Mary Jo Mullen said in a statement that she is pleased to see the Arbor Station project taking shape and thanked Pulte Homes “for their continued investment in the Lisle community.”

Pulte is in the process of building a single-family home subdivision on the east side of town, just off Route 53. Attorney Russ Whitaker called the Rivers Edge community “a resounding success for Pulte.”

“We've seen some great sales moving through that community quickly,” he added.

Looking to build upon that, Pulte will develop a neighborhood of townhouses east of the former Family Square shopping center. The project will also consolidate roughly 4.6 acres of properties containing old single-family homes, as well as a vacant drive-through bank.

“I think the intent is that in first quarter of next year, you would see us demolishing homes and moving towards physical construction,” Whitaker said.

Under Lisle’s downtown master plan, the properties are considered part of a “Downtown Core Expansion” area. The plan suggests townhouses should be encouraged east of Center Avenue as a means of expanding housing options for the community and bolstering the downtown population to support its businesses.

A previous development proposal included an apartment building. Bridge Street Properties, however, withdrew that zoning petition. Since then, it’s contracted with Pulte Homes and revised the plans, removing the multifamily component.

“Having an end user that knows how to build their product, knows how to market homes … is very important in not just seeing a site plan and something that we're reviewing and approving, but some actual construction happen in 2026,” Trustee Michael Olson said.

A lot at the southeast corner of Ogden and Center avenues is also being set aside for future commercial development.

The village’s planning and zoning commission recommended, as a condition of approval, that the commercial lot increase in size to .75 acres or 32,670 square feet, which would have reduced the number of townhouses from 66 to 62.

But after the commission’s advisory vote, the development plans were adjusted to increase the commercial lot area to 24,494 square feet without losing any townhouse units.

“I think that provides sufficient space to be able to accommodate … a variety of uses, whether they be coffee, a small fast-food store, some fast-casual restaurants, or a small strip center like you would see across the street,” Whitaker said.

The owner is not selling that commercial property to Pulte.

“They will be retaining ownership of it, so the ability to develop, the ability to sell that parcel, is an important component of the overall development plan,” Whitaker told village trustees.

Each three-story townhouse will include a two-car garage. Pulte also intends to offer an option to build out a habitable attic space with an outdoor terrace, creating livable space on the fourth floor.