Elmhurst aldermen on the city’s Development, Planning and Zoning Committee got a preliminary look Monday at a new building proposed for the east side of York Street just north of Third Street, the former site of the Rainbow Restaurant.
The project is the first under the city’s new planned unit development process, a multistep process called for in when the involved property has more than 75 feet of frontage, as does this lot at 233 N. York.
That process includes a completed meeting with city staff, Monday’s presentation by architect John Iwaszkiewicz and property owner John Marinos and a meeting for people living within 500 feet.
Assistant city manager Mike Kopp said the process gives project developers the opportunity to gather input from city officials “before spending serious money” on detailed engineering and design work.
Ald. Michael Honquest, Bob Dunn and Mark Mulliner liked the concept, especially what they called the traditional look of brick and stone on all four sides of the 7,500 square foot building. Mayor Steve Morley agreed.
“No complaints about anything here, although I’d like it a little taller,” Morley said.
Committee members weren’t as pleased with a push for a more traditional look at an already approved Lennar eight-story project planned for Addison Avenue.
Developer Lennar Multifamily Communities is asking the city to provide about $300,000 in tax increment financing assistance for the eight-story, 92-foot tall structure it plans to build at 183, 189 and 191 Addison Avenue.
That would include $199,000 in streetscape improvements, $65,000 in work on the alley behind the proposed building and $45,000 for utility relocation.
Kopp said the city would likely spend another $1 million on the entire alley, burying utilities and relocating transformers to benefit all properties along the alley.
When City Council members approved the Lennar project by a 10-3 vote in May, Dunn voted against it, saying the smooth exterior panels were not in keeping with the city’s design guidelines, which call for traditional materials of brick and stone.
Mulliner voted for the project but noted officials would have a chance to weigh in on materials and design issues when Lennar came back for financial assistance.
“What I’ve heard about the preliminary look – the bulk of the comments I’ve heard are about materials,” Morley said Monday. “The feedback I’ve gotten is more materials than design.”
Morley referred to the nontraditional cement board planned for the building’s exterior above the street level.
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“I would say Elmhurst has not had a major cement board building,” he concluded, urging “brick and stone – as much as possible.”
Dunn agreed.
“To me it doesn’t seem to meet our downtown plan,” he said.
Travis Nordgaard of Lennar noted the first level of the building is clad in brick. Above that, he said, the exterior wall materials are similar to those used on the large apartment block on the northwest corner of Addison and First Street, known as Opus, but branded now as The Marke of Elmhurst.
That might have been the wrong thing to say, as aldermen made clear they’re not happy with the finished look of that building, which includes some visible nail heads fastening the cement board.
Nordgaard said while the Lennar project includes similar cement board cladding, the building includes more glass and improved fastening systems for a higher quality look. He told aldermen given the progress on the design it would be difficult to change exterior materials, especially to heavier and more expensive components.
He did agree to get samples of materials and fastening systems to the city so staff and elected officials could see and touch actual samples in time for the next Development Committee meeting at 7 p.m. June 24 at City Hall, 209 N. York St.