New subdivision planned on reclaimed South Elgin gravel mine
A new subdivision of 246 townhouses is planned along Route 25 on the site of an old gravel mine in South Elgin.
The goal is to start ground work for the Park Pointe subdivision, on the southwest corner of Route 25 and Middle Street, in the spring and begin building townhouses in September 2019, said attorney Rich Guerard of Wheaton, who represents the owners and developers, Bluff City LLC.
The village board approved a concept plan last week for the 40-acre subdivision that would include a 1.5-acre park.
The first townhouses would be ready for occupancy by February 2020, and the whole subdivision would be built by 2024, Guerard said. The estimated cost of the project is about $6 million, he said.
The gravel mine closed more than five years ago and it took a while to reclaim the land and turn it into a buildable site, he said.
"The property is now ready for residential development - the market is here, now, and it wasn't for a while," Guerard said.
The subdivision plan got a thumbs-up from the planning and zoning commission and the village board, even though the village's 2030 comprehensive plan calls for a mix of residential and commercial at that location.
Village President Steve Ward pointed out the property is surrounded by open land.
"There's not a lot there to draw into a commercial development. If there was, it would be so small, and the businesses (that might open), they don't all create taxes," he said, pointing to barber shops and dry cleaners.
"It was unanimous of everybody's feeling (on the board) that we should not go with commercial on this corner property," he added. "Overall, it's a quality development, and a needed development."
Bluff City LLC also is building the South Pointe single-family home subdivision to the east at 1055 Middle Street in South Elgin, where the construction of models is expected to start in October and be completed by January, Guerard said.
Nearby are James "Pate" Phillips State Park and the Illinois Prairie Path bike trail. The two new subdivisions will connect to the bike trail, Guerard said.
The developer also built the Bartlett Pointe subdivision across Route 25 in Bartlett.