Boris Predovich Floats $60M Mixed-use Project in Homer Glen

Homer Glen officials are taking the temperature on a new mixed-use development pitched along one of the southwest suburb’s main commercial corridors.

Developer Boris Predovich is proposing Arya, a 15.5-acre project slated for vacant land just east of 12542 West 159th Street in the southwest Chicago suburb. The Chicago Tribune reported that the plan would bring a blend of for-sale housing and neighborhood retail to the corridor in what Predovich pegged as a $50 million to $60 million investment, according to materials presented to the Village Board this week.

The proposal centers on two three-story buildings fronting 159th Street, with about 30,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor and condos above, village planning and zoning director Christopher Gruba said. Each building would include 13 condos, ranging from roughly 1,250 square feet to 1,500 square feet with balconies, plus larger penthouses up to 1,800 square feet with outdoor terraces.

Behind the mixed-use buildings, the plan calls for a gated enclave of 20 duplex buildings — 40 homes total — set along an internal drive. Prices for the duplexes could start in the upper $500,000s or $600,000s, Predovich said.

Notably absent from the mix are apartments, as Predovich made clear he isn’t interested in rentals. Homer Glen residents and officials have historically pushed back against apartment development, according to the outlet.

Retail could be spread across as many as 16 storefronts, Predovich said, with potential tenants including restaurants, boutiques and coffee shops. The development is designed to be walkable and function as a gathering place rather than a standalone subdivision. Homes would be built in brick with varied elevations and color palettes to avoid a “cookie-cutter” feel, the development team said.

The plan is still early. Trustees heard the concept at a committee meeting Wednesday, but no approvals were granted. The proposal must still go before the plan commission and ultimately return to the Village Board for a vote. It would also require the creation of a new zoning district, as Homer Glen doesn’t currently have a classification tailored to mixed-use development of this type, Gruba said.

Several village trustees said the project could appeal to longtime residents looking to downsize without leaving the village, while adding the kind of retail amenities the corridor lacks.

Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike stressed that resident input will shape what happens next, calling the project a “big deal.” The village will gather public feedback ahead of its Feb. 11 meeting.

— Eric Weilbacher