Crown Community Development Approved for Sugar Grove Mixed-Use

Sugar Grove’s village board has given Crown Community Development the green light to build the Grove, a 761-acre master-planned community about 45 miles west of Chicago.

The board on Tuesday voted 4-2 in favor of annexing the tract at the intersection of Interstate 88 and Route 47, establishing a planned development district featuring residential, retail and offices, with potential for warehouses and data centers, the Daily Herald reported. The project will also include a 200-acre open space with parks and walking trails.

The development will be backed by a tax increment financing district, which could provide Crown with up to $109 million in reimbursements, a point of contention for some village trustees. Trustee Sean Michels voted against the TIF, expressing concern over its use for the residential portion of the development. Trustee Heidi Lendi opposed the entire TIF, arguing that the land doesn’t meet the qualifications for such funding.

Crown’s revised proposal is a departure from the industrial-focused plan that was shelved in 2019 due to strong opposition from residents.

The Naperville-based developer has since adopted a more balanced approach, combining housing options with commercial areas and community spaces. The new plan also includes a town center that could provide a central hub for civic activities and gatherings.

Development of The Grove is part of a larger trend in suburban planning, where communities like Sugar Grove are aiming to create walkable, mixed-use districts that replicate the downtown atmosphere of larger cities.

The development is planned to unfold in phases over the next decade, and crown will work closely with village officials throughout the process. Although some residents remain wary of the changes, Village President Jennifer Konen has expressed optimism about the plan, describing it as a “working compromise” that aims to meet the needs of the community and the developer.

According to the annexation agreement, Crown would not proceed with the development without the TIF district, arguing that the project would be financially unfeasible without it. The village also agreed that if the TIF fund does not have enough money at any point to cover reimbursements, payments will be deferred, accruing up to 8 percent interest, with repayment potentially spread out over 20 years.

— Andrew Terrell