A developer seeking to redevelop the northwest corner of Lake Street and Forest Avenue in downtown Oak Park is asking for resident input before finalizing a building design.
Andrew Yule of Albion Residential announced an open house will take place at 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Nineteenth Century Club, 178 Forest Ave., for representatives to discuss the proposal and gather feedback.
“We encourage the neighbors to show up to talk a little bit about the project and our proposed development,” Yule said. “We’re in the very early stages [of the design].”
As part of the plan, the existing two-story building at 1000 Lake St. would be demolished and the proposed development would also encompass a parking lot to the north of the existing structure, Yule said.
According to Yule, the proposed building will be a mixed-use development, with first-floor retail space and residential units and parking above.
The proposed development would sit across the street from the 21-story Vantage Oak Park development, which opened last year. While the 1000 Lake St. property is zoned for a building up to eight stories in height, the developer could seek a taller structure when moving the plan through the village’s planned development process.
“The one thing I can address is we will be shorter in size than that of the Vantage building,” Yule said.
One party with heavy interest in the proposed development is the Park District of Oak Park, which owns nearby Austin Gardens at 167 Forest Ave. According to the park district, Austin Gardens is home to 285 trees in its 3.64-acre boundary, and officials are worried what effect a tall structure could have on the park’s trees and plants.
“As good stewards of our parks, the park district is concerned with the height of a proposed building at Lake and Forest,” park district spokesperson Diane Stanke said. “Currently, the new Vantage building casts a shadow on the park, especially in the morning hours, blocking the morning sun. We understand the property at 1000 Lake St. is zoned for an eight-story building, which would be the optimal height for this new development to have the least impact on Austin Gardens.”
According to Stanke, the park district will have representatives at the open house to discuss the proposed development.
Albion’s presentation is expected to include the results of shadow and density studies conducted on the property, Yule said.
Twitter: @steveschering
