Buffalo Grove may annex Prairie View site for $60 million apartment development
Buffalo Grove village trustees Tuesday heard a proposal for a four-story, 300-unit apartment development on the Fiore Nursery and Landscape Supply property in unincorporated Prairie View.
e-Terra+ and Interforum, the developer and contract purchaser of the approximately 11-acre site at 16606 W. Route 22, is finalizing the plans for the development to be called the Arden Residences of Buffalo Grove, village Community Development Director Nicole Woods said,
As part of the $60 million plan, the property would be annexed into Buffalo Grove.
Woods said the proposal is the first redevelopment project in what's called the Prairie View Metra Station Area, a 128-acre zone surrounding the station at 2701 Main St. The village in 2019 adopted the Prairie View Metra Station Area Plan to guide development of what's hoped to become a walkable, sustainable mixed-use neighborhood around the commuter station.
"(The proposed apartments) will also serve as a catalyst for further redevelopment in the area," Woods said.
Kristopher Plencner of Northfield-based e-Terra+ said the plan calls for 147 one-bedroom, 120 two-bedroom, and 33 three-bedroom units.
"With the amount of one-bedrooms we have, we anticipate a very minimal impact on the schools," he said. "Our residents tend to be empty nesters growing out of their homes and seeking a more maintenance-free and worry-free choice of housing."
He said there will be improvements to the wetlands on the west side of the property, including the removal of nonnative species, clearing out scrub, and enhancing the water quality with natural filtration. Accessible paths and benches will be located around the wetland area.
Trustee Eric Smith expressed concern of the site's proximity of the Lake County Scrap Metal site, which would be south of the development's entry on Main Street. Smith asked Plencner if he had discussions with the scrap metal ownership. Plencner said he had, but discussions were "not fruitful."
Smith said he sat on the visioning committee for the Prairie View plan, "and the first thing that was said - and it was said over and over and over again - is that, 'We love this. But the first thing that's got to go is the scrap metal.' And here we are, and it's still there."
Smith also raised concern about the density of the projects, which calls for about 26 units per acre.
"We identified this as a more transit-oriented and higher-density location as part of the Prairie View (plan)," Deputy Village Manager Christopher Stilling said,
Plencner said rents would range from $1,800-$1,850 for a one-bedroom unit and close to $3,000 for three bedrooms.
Trustees on Tuesday referred the proposal to the town's planning and zoning commission to formally begin the village review process.