Plan for 72 affordable housing units on Fox River in Batavia to get public hearing Wednesday
A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday for a 72-unit affordable housing complex at the former quarry east of the Fox River that one Batavia alderman described as a plan to turn a “rock field into someplace people can live.”
The proposed mixed-income apartments, named the Residences at River Pointe, would be located at 400 South River Street.
Batavia’s plan commission and zoning board will hold the public hearing to consider the development and the proposed zoning and land use map changes. The meeting is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 21, in the City Council Chambers, 100 N. Island Ave.
The site has long sat vacant, with few developers interested in adapting the old rock quarry. At previous city meetings, aldermen have discussed the community’s need for more affordable housing options.
The $23.2 million proposal, by the nonprofit Fox River Affordable Housing, in partnership with the Housing Authority of Elgin, consists of a single four-story residential building.
In online posts, while acknowledging the need for more affordable housing, some residents voiced concerns about what they called the warehouse-style aesthetics of the development being out of character with the surrounding area. Some requested a design that better matches existing building structures.
Some residents also expressed concerns about density, including limited parking and increased traffic.
The developers are seeking to fund the project with a combination of private equity, Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and conventional mortgage financing.
In May 2025, the city gave tentative approval to provide up to $1.2 million in Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, assistance to cover land acquisition and early phase planning and engineering costs. That letter of intent does not obligate the city to approve the project.
TIFs are designed to provide developers with financial incentives by channeling property tax revenue in a “blighted” area back into the redevelopment of the designated site. This means the growth in property taxes goes back to the developers, not schools and other public institutions, for a set period of time.
If the affordable housing project is approved, residents will be able to enjoy overlooking Clark Island Park and the shores of the Fox River, scenery typically reserved for the more affluent.
In the May vote, several aldermen were in favor of the project location, arguing the city would see a quick return on its investment based on the contributions the tenants would bring to the community.
The mixed-income apartments would be divided by household income in comparison to the Area Median Income, or AMI. The median household income in Kane County is $100,700, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
The developers are currently dividing the 72 housing units into 16 for households earning 80% or less of the AMI. Another 38 units are reserved for households making 60% or less of the AMI. The final 18 units are for households making 30% or less of the AMI.
If fully approved by the city, the developers currently wish to begin construction by November.