Oak Park officials and the developers of a 21-story mixed-use building at the northeast corner of Lake Street and Forest Avenue broke ground Thursday morning, marking the beginning of construction for a project first envisioned nearly eight years ago.
“This groundbreaking ceremony represents the accumulation of eight years of challenges, patience and persistence,” said Village President Anan Abu-Taleb. “Today is a day to celebrate and today let us take this opportunity to renew our message that Oak Park is open for business.”
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The project, which is estimated at a total cost of $99 million, includes the development of 270 rental units, 25,000 square feet of commercial space and more than 580 parking spots in a new parking deck for both public and private use.
Demolition of an aging village-owned parking garage will be the first step in construction, officials said. Once the garage is razed, construction on the building is expected to take about 18 months to complete.
Over the years, the project, first proposed in 2007 as a “catalyst” for redevelopment in the downtown area, was delayed and redesigned.
“I’ve been building apartments for 25 years in eight states and this is the most complicated development I’ve been involved in,” said Tim McEntee, of Wood Partners, one of the developers.
McEntee joked that the project “had more moving pieces than a Tesla,” crediting the collaboration between Wood Partners, Chicago-based Golub & Co. and the village as the reason those pieces came together.
“I don’t think this development would have occurred without that,” he said.