Within a year, Mona Navitsky expects the intersection of Harrison Street and Lombard Avenue in the Oak Park Arts District to look vastly different, with news of a townhouse development and a new restaurant moving in.
On the north side of the street, townhouse development Flexhouse Oak Park will replace the building at 202-208 Harrison St., previously occupied by ABC Toon Town II, said Navitsky, partner with Harrison Street Ventures LLC, which owns the properties.
Asian fusion restaurant Mora plans to open at 201 Harrison St., at the southwest corner of that intersection. The announcements add to the change already occurring in that pocket of the district, with Nature Yoga Sanctuary moving into 146-148 Harrison St.
“We’re really hoping this’ll have a domino effect,” said Viktor Schrader, economic development manager for the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation.
Navitsky said the townhome properties — designed by Philadelphia architect ISA and developed by Ranquist Development Group and Campbell Coyle — will bring a nice balance to the area.
“I think the townhouse development is going to be a great addition to the portfolio,” Navitsky said.
Flexhouse Oak Park will be a modern development featuring four three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom townhouses priced at $539,900, with live/work capabilities.
“It’s fun to have them in town working on a project here,” Schrader said of ISA.
The building currently occupying the space where the townhouses will be built — formerly childcare center ABC Toon Town II — will be demolished this fall, if not sooner, Navitsky said.
More Top Picks Best Massage Guns For Plantar Fasciitis
The two brick buildings flanking it, 200 and 210 Harrison, will each feature 1,300 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a two-bedroom apartment for rent on the second floor of each building; Navitsky said apartments should be ready for occupancy by fall.
Navitsky said they’re working to revamp the 200 and 210 properties and their facades.
Talks with Mora, an Asian fusion restaurant located in Plainfield, were on-again, off-again for several months, and a lease was recently signed for the 2,980-square-foot space at 201 Harrison St. After some work to outfit the space for Mora’s concept, Navitsky expects the community will be pleased once the restaurant opens its doors; she anticipates it opening around September. A message left for a contact with Mora was not returned.
“I think it’s going to be a very bright spot on that corner that people will like,” Schrader said.
Laura Maychruk, owner of The Buzz Cafe and president of the Oak Park Arts District board, noted an Asian restaurant was planned for the space in 2010, prior to that space and some others in the district falling into foreclosure.
“Hopefully, it’ll get there,” Maychruk said.
In fall 2015, Harrison Street Ventures gained possession of several arts district storefronts previously owned by Chris Kleronomos. Navitsky has said Kleronomos maintains a small, non-decision-making stake in the properties.
After signing a listing agreement with commercial real estate advisers Sperry Van Ness about a month ago, Navitsky said they’ve seen increased interest since the company has been marketing the properties along Harrison Street.
“We’ve seen that traffic increase substantially,” she said.
Schrader said it feels like the right team has been assembled to market and fill these spaces. He said the situation is unique in that so much space has been available within one business district at one time.
“It finally feels like we have some momentum,” Schrader said. “It seems to be really working, and I think this is what it needed.”
Maychruk, also a real estate agent in the area, said there’s not much to compare the planned townhouses to, so she’s curious to see the interest level in the properties. She remains cautious with regard to the news in general.
“It’s all fine by me,” Maychruk said. “I’m happy if it happens — truly happy if it happens — but I’ve heard so many things over the years … I will wait and see.”
For more information on Flexhouse Oak Park, visit www.oakparkeconomicdevelopmentcorporation.org/portfolio/flexhouse-oak-park.
Caitlin Mullen is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.