Rezoning for an active senior housing project in Carpentersville has received the village board’s approval.
Starville Manor is a three-story, 50-unit apartment building to be built on 2.38 acres at 6850 Huntley Road, east of Randall Road. It would have 41 one-bedroom units and nine two-bedroom units.
Carpentersville Village Manager Brad Stewart said the development would have a component of affordable housing. Although he was not certain what percentage of units would fall into that category, Woda-Cooper Development Inc. has applied for a tax credit through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, he said.
IHDA approved the project’s general concept, and the developer is completing the application process, which should be done by late spring or early summer, he said.
Woda-Cooper plans to not only build Starville Manor but manage it as well, Stewart said.
Senior housing is something listed as a goal in the village’s strategic plan, he noted.
“The developer obviously has done its market research to identify that this is a growing need in this area,” Stewart said. “We don’t really have an equivalent multiuse building for independent living for the senior community.”
The location will be appealing to seniors because it’s “close to shopping and restaurants,” he said. “There’s a pharmacy literally across the street. We think it’s a very well-suited location for this type of development.”
Starville Manor is being designed in an “L” shape and will be positioned on an angle toward the center of the site to minimize the impacts on surrounding residential homes and to preserve an area of trees along the east side of the property lines, according to village documents.
The building has a modernist design with brick-and-fiber cement siding in earth-tone colors, including gray, blue and red/brown, documents said.
“The aesthetic of this building is really nice,” Stewart said. “The developer wants this to look like a nice addition to the community. Everything they have conceptually designed at this point has looked very sharp.
“I think if anyone looked at this, it would be something they take pride in living with, and it would be an enhancement to the community,” he said.
There will be 76 parking stalls for residents, visitors and employees, with each household expected to have one vehicle. Amenities will include a 352-square-foot solarium/community room, a covered seating area with grills, and a 1,092-square-foot dog park enclosed by a fence.
Trustees approved a request that changes the site’s zoning from commercial to multi-family residential, which fits Carpentersville’s comprehensive plan for the area, Stewart said.
“We see it as a very consistent use,” Stewart said.
The area along Randall Road is ready for redevelopment, and the village is in talks with a developer interested in building a larger development north of Extra Space Storage on Randall Road.
Additionally, Carpentersville has annexed more than 200 acres along its western border. The board recently approved a Tax Increment Financing district for the newly annexed area.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
