Oswego trustees have given their approval to a project that will see 280 “upscale” apartments in 14 buildings built in the village.
Representatives of Continental Properties came to the village in November with a concept plan for The Springs at Oswego, a gated community with private streets on a 27-acre site on the west side of Fifth Street, south of the Prairie Market shopping center on Route 34.
Trustees unanimously approved an ordinance that allows for the development of 14 apartment buildings with a total of 280 units as well as a clubhouse on 27.48 acres at the site.
The property has remained undeveloped since it was annexed as part of the Prairie Market development in 2005, according to village officials.
The village’s plan commission approved of the plans in March.
When the concept was originally introduced, the Memomonee Falls, Wisc.-based developer was looking to build 16 buildings with 320 apartments.
Village officials then had supported the multi-family residential project as an appropriate use for the “challenging site.”
However, the village had concerns about the size of the project and the traffic it might generate.
Village Administrator Dan Di Santo said staff has been working with the developer since last year to reduce the size of the project by 40 apartments.
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The apartment complex is expected to generate approximately 533 new residents, 35 of which would be school-aged children, village officials said.
Di Santo said the project overall is good for Oswego.
“This project is needed in Oswego to help diversify our housing options, to set a new top range for apartment rental rates, and to put long vacant property into productive use,” he said.
The village anticipates the developer will break ground in late summer or early fall. The first leases are expected to be available in the summer of 2019.
Monthly rental rates are expected to be in the $1,100 to $2,000 range, officials said.
Oswego resident Russ Pietrowiak, who lives in the nearby Churchill Club subdivision, said he does not object to the project. However, he would have preferred if the Oswegoland Park District purchased the property to be used as open space.
Pietrowiak, in his public comments to trustees this week, said the area has become a fertile eco-system that has attracted wildlife.
“You would be surprised by the diversity of wildlife in the area. … We’ll be saddened to see all of that go away,” he told the Village Board.
Pietrowiak said residents he has spoken to would prefer a decorative fence around the perimeter of the property rather than a black vinyl-coated chain link fence. The plans are to have a decorative fence at the front of the development along Fifth Street, according to village documents.
“I would hope the village will encourage a long-term view of what this development will look like,” he said.
According to village documents, there will be 20 units in each of the 14 buildings. The total project will consist of 28 studio apartments, 112 one-bedroom units, 112 two-bedroom units and 28 three-bedroom units.
The apartment complex will have a 4,300-square-foot clubhouse, a swimming pool and detached garages for residents. The development will have two pet parks for residents to bring their dogs to run within a fenced area.
“We have projects all over the country,” said Bob McCaigue, a representative of the developer. “We are everywhere from Minnesota to Florida.”
McCaigue said the first apartment building will built closest to Fifth Street.
“It will be our marketing piece,” he told trustees.
McCaigue said the total development will take roughly 21 months to complete, with the entire project completed by the winter of 2020.
Trustee Judy Sollinger said she was impressed with Continental’s apartment development in North Aurora called The Springs at Orchard Road.
“It’s very nice. I did go visit it and they did a nice job,” Sollinger said.