Chicago Suburb Des Plaines Kills Senior Housing Project

A rare shot at a $50 million affordable senior housing project in Des Plaines is off the table.

A proposed supported living facility in the northwest suburb of Chicago was rejected by the city council this week, with aldermen citing emergency response burdens, fire safety and aesthetic concerns despite a planning board’s recommendation to approve, the Daily Herald reported.

The project, known as Heritage Woods of Des Plaines, would have brought a four-story, 150-unit residential building to a 4-acre vacant site at 2200 East Golf Road. The project had an estimated valuation between $25 million and $50 million, or $166,700 to $333,000 per unit according to Dodge Data & Analytics.

The 123,000-square-foot complex was designed for residents 65 and older who are ambulatory but need help with daily activities like cooking, bathing or dressing.

Residents would have qualified at incomes at or below 80 percent of the area’s median household income, according to Journal & Topics. The facility would have operated under the state’s supportive living model, offering Medicaid-based assistance.

The property, formerly home to United Stationers before its closure in 2007 and demolition in 2009, has been vacant for over 15 years.

The senior housing proposal was voted down 6-2 at Monday night’s city council meeting despite gaining support from the city’s planning and zoning board in April. Among the top concerns was a projection from Fire Chief Matt Matzl, who said the facility would generate 225 to 250 emergency calls per year, putting strain on fire and EMS services.

Several aldermen questioned the building’s fire evacuation plans for elderly residents on upper floors.

“You’ve got to think about how they’re going to get down stairs in an emergency,” Alderman Dick Sayad said. Others took issue with the proposed facade materials, suggesting they were not in line with surrounding development.

The project was backed by Des Plaines Supportive Living LLC, a group of unidentified investors. The site is one of the city’s largest unused parcels east of the Tri-State Tollway.

— Judah Duke