Pulte set to buy Wetlands to Develop Naperville Duplexes

The DuPage Water Commission is on track to sell an undeveloped Naperville property to Pulte Home Company for $14 million.

The densely-wooded property sits on the south side of 75th Street, sandwiched between homes and apartments. Pulte’s plan is to turn it into a 94-unit duplex neighborhood. Project plans filed with the city describe the new complex, dubbed “Naperville Ridge,” is “a new high-end opportunity for empty nesters and pre-empty nesters to downsize,” according to the Chicago Daily Herald. The site is currently unincorporated.

Naperville officials are bracing for pushback during a Wednesday planning and zoning commission meeting, as residents believe the Forest Preserve District of the county should try and buy the property. It’s a wetland, and borders the Greene Valley Forest Preserve. Forest Preserve President Daniel Hebeard said that they’re aware of the interest in preserving the property, but didn’t specifically comment publicly to avoid driving up taxpayer acquisition costs, according to the outlet. Only a small slice of the property is used as a water storage site, and government officials don’t see any more square footage being added to that slice.

Critics of the sale also say that there are multiple locations that would be suitable for building homes in the area, citing unused commercial developments and nearby farmland. They oppose the removal of native trees, and think that there is a shortage of woodlands and wetlands.

If the sale goes through, Pulte will have spent a little over $3 million than what the land was appraised for. MaRous & Company pegged the 32-acre site’s value at $10.8 million. The filed plans indicate that two outlets would be identified as conservation areas, funded by proceeds from the parcel’s homeowners association. Pulte pivoted the type of home they’ll be building on the land to help preserve the wetlands, according to the publication.

— Hunter Cooke