Official: Riverfront development could be 'focal point' for East Dundee

A four-story development containing residential units, retail space and terraces could change the landscape of East Dundee's riverfront if project plans come to fruition.

Development group Billitteri Enterprises has proposed purchasing and tearing down an existing structure at 1 E. Main St., which is prone to flooding, to make way for the mixed-use building and a large attached patio along the Fox River.

The project would include first-floor retail with access off Route 72, as well as several residences - likely for-purchase condominiums - on the first and upper levels, developer Joe Billitteri said.

"The opportunity to live with this type of river view is not necessarily common along the Fox River," Village Administrator Jennifer Johnsen said. "We feel like it's going to be a focal point in East Dundee, and it's going to help define the uniqueness in the village."

The riverfront patio would be divided into two sections: one for use by the building residents and the other for the retailer, which could be a coffee shop or another similar business, Billitteri said. Second-floor residential units also would have private terraces, and several garage spaces would be available for residents.

To keep the building out of the floodway, the development would have to extend onto Water Street, requiring the roadway to be permanently closed between Route 72 and Jackson Street, Johnsen said. A public walkway would be constructed along the east side of the property and would ideally connect to other parts of the downtown.

Village officials in the past have discussed closing Water Street at Main Street because of poor sight lines, Johnsen said. In addition to being a safer option, Billitteri said, the move would push more traffic into the downtown by requiring drivers to use River Street.

"In my mind, that's going to assist the rest of the businesses," he said.

Preliminary plans were introduced last week to the village board, which unanimously agreed to move forward with negotiations regarding a possible incentive deal, Johnsen said. The site falls into a tax increment financing district, meaning incremental property tax revenue generated by the development could help refund some project costs.

Otto Engineering President Tom Roeser, a prominent investor in East Dundee, said in an email to village officials that he believes the 48-foot-tall development is too big and would not fit the "historic nature of the area."

However, Johnsen said the structure would be a foot shorter than the Emmett's Brewing Co. building in West Dundee, and it would be designed to blend in with the atmosphere of the downtown. The building's proposed size also makes the project financially viable for developers, she added.

Billitteri Enterprises also is in the process of developing apartments at 811 E. Main St. If the village board eventually approves final plans for 1 E. Main St., Billitteri hopes contractors will break ground on the project next spring.

"We are very excited," Johnsen said. "We see it as a great entry point as you cross over the river and enter into East Dundee."