The Naperville City Council told a developer Tuesday that his proposal for a seven-story mixed-use building in downtown wouldn’t pass because of the height, but decided to give the developer a month to revise the project.
The plan, by Park Ridge-based Prelude Development Group, is proposed for the southeast corner of Main Street and Benton Avenue.
The first floor is to house 11,500 square feet of retail space and private parking. The second and third floors would have nearly 100 public parking spaces accessed from the Van Buren Parking deck and the top four floors would be home to a mix of high-end and affordable condominium units and rooftop gardens. Other details show landscaped courtyards and a green roof.
Initially the plan showed 18 high-end units, but Kevin Gallaher, attorney for the developer, said the market for million-dollar condominiums in downtown may be saturated.
The additional two floors of public parking was a trade-off for the height, but was greatly needed as a step to improve parking problems in the downtown, said Gallaher.
Residents at the meeting opposed the project, saying the structure was higher than anything in the downtown and would overdevelop the area.
Council members raised similar concerns.
“I’ve had a problem with the height from the first time I saw it,” said Councilman James Boyajian. “I don’t think this project is sized appropriately for the property.”
City Manager Peter Burchard said there is a struggle between redevelopment in the downtown and creating more parking.
“We see the added benefit of the parking and the trade-off is the height,” he said. “The pros are very evident … we are trying to deal with long-term parking issues.”
