Chicago Suburb Chooses Developers for City-Owned Land Project

Harlem Irving Group and Hamilton Partners won the contract for a mixed-use redevelopment effort downtown Fox River Grove.

The project is expected to include 7,000 square feet of office space, 100 apartments and parking on city-owned land along Route 14, Shaw Local reported. The site, often referred to as “Block B,” extends from Lincoln Avenue to Illinois Street, just across from the village’s Metra station. Townhomes and a restaurant could also be part of the project.

Once the final concept is determined, the developers will present their proposal to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Village Board for approval. Pans could be reviewed as soon as next month, with construction potentially starting by fall, Village president Marc McLaughlin said.

Other developments in the suburb include Redwood Apartment Neighborhoods’ built-to-rent project, which is under construction near Route 22. It will feature 110 single-story rental homes, and leasing is scheduled to begin in the next few months. Each home will offer two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage, catering to an “age-targeted but not age-restricted” community. The village anticipates the development will generate over $130,000 in annual revenue.

Fox River Grove continues to operate debt-free, a status it has held since 2019. The village recently secured $600,000 in state funding for renovations to Lions Park, which will feature new courts, a picnic pavilion, a playground, parking and walking trails.

Not every development in the suburb is going smoothly. Fox River Grove is seeking court approval to demolish the partially built apartment complex at 401 Algonquin Road, which developers The Grove Residences LLC and Branko Tupanjac abandoned in 2022.

The project was intended to address housing needs in the area but stalled due to lawsuits from nearly a dozen contractors for unpaid work. The village has pursued eminent domain, declaring the property blighted, but court proceedings are ongoing.

— Andrew Terrell