West Dundee apartment development welcomes first residents

As a new gated apartment community welcomes its first residents, West Dundee's vision of adding rooftops and spurring economic activity along Route 31 is starting to come to fruition.

Five of the development's 13 buildings, each containing 20 apartments, are ready for occupancy at Springs at Canterfield, 1900 Canterfield Parkway West, community manager Kelsey Sheehan said. The pool opened last weekend, she said, and the clubhouse, fitness center, pet parks and various other amenities are either complete or being finalized.

Construction on other eight buildings is underway and likely will wrap up by year's end, Community Development Director Tim Scott said. The project received village board approval in 2016 with the hope it would trigger commercial development along the Route 31 corridor.

That plan already has started to bear fruit, Scott said. The promise of additional rooftops was appealing to Casey's General Store representatives, who are planning to build a store and gas station about a mile away along Route 31.

"The addition of these 260 households is instrumental in providing the additional income that can be spent locally and, in turn, help with business retention and business attraction," Scott said. "The prospect of that economic multiplier is good for the village."

The project also aligns with the village's goal to provide a mix of housing options, Scott said, pointing to a 2014 study by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning that projected a high demand for multiunit residential developments. Springs at Canterfield can accommodate residents ranging from recent college graduates to families with school-aged children to empty nesters, he said.

"It can meet the needs of the full range of household types and sizes," Scott said. "It's about convenience and maintenance-free living and amenities."

The apartment community, developed by Wisconsin-based Continental Properties, has begun preleasing through January and is about 8 percent leased, Sheehan said. Studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units are available for $1,236 to $2,122 per month, according to the website.

Sheehan said the development is offering nine- to 15-month leases. As more buildings are completed, leases as short as three months could become available, she said.