The City Council agreed to amend Geneva’s land-use plan this week to accommodate the city’s first proposed project within a newly created commercial development district.
The council unanimously voted to redesignate 35 acres at the northwest corner of Fabyan Parkway and Randall Road from office to retail with a special permit for residential.
The approval clears a hurdle for a local joint venture seeking to build a 275,000-square-foot shopping center and 49 single-family homes.
The proposal is the subject of a public hearing scheduled Tuesday before the city’s Plan Commission and will be presented for council approval at a special meeting the following day.
“Time is money for commercial developers,” Mayor William Ottilie said, explaining the need for speedy council approval. “We’ve talked about this in basic concepts for a while, so what more is there to say other than to act on the proposal?”
The project is the first to develop under Geneva’s new Commercial Business District.