Apartment Building Gets La Grange's OK

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange trustees approved a four-story apartment building Monday, despite neighbors' opposition.

Some trustees said the village needed more affordable housing. They also said the building aligns with the village's long-term plan for development.

Of the trustees, only Lou Gale voted against a couple of changes to the village code to make the building possible.

The building would be from 811 to 901 W. Hillgrove Ave. The first floor would be commercial space, while the rest would contain 31 apartments.

At earlier hearings, residents argued the building would be a bad fit and worsen parking, traffic and stormwater flow.

Trustee Glenn Thompson said the West End should be developed and that the town needs more affordable housing.

"I know of two other developers who are looking at very similar lots," Thompson said. If the village doesn't change its code, "these two developments will also go away, and we'll have no development on the West End."

Trustee Beth Augustine said that over the years, the village approved the Uptown apartment building and the Beds Plus homeless shelter, among other multifamily housing.

Those projects, she recalled, drew strong pushback from residents.

"Many had contentious moments, and frankly, were hard to watch," Augustine said. "In the end, all but one were built and seem to be serving us fairly well."

However, Trustee Gale said the project was too dense for the neighborhood.

"I don't see setbacks for this building. It's right up to the sidewalk, lot line to lot line on the sides," he said. "With the four-story height, I think it's going to be an imposing structure."

Trustee Shawana McGee, a La Grange native, said she was against the project at first.

"It's sad that I have to say that I have not been on the West End in maybe 40 years," said McGee, who lives on the east side. "I have always loved La Grange. I have had no reason to go down that far."

But she said she made the journey to the area to see where the building would go. In visiting the site, she determined the building would be an asset to the village.

Thompson related a story from a couple of months ago when he found out his Uber driver in Texas was from La Grange's east side.

The driver told Thompson he was glad the Uptown apartments were built some years ago in La Grange. The trustee said the driver told him that the apartments were affordable, letting him live in La Grange for a time.

"He said that if there were more here, more children like him would move into town because they can't afford to buy a home, but it gives them a chance to live in an area like La Grange and enjoy the downtown area," Thompson said.

The project will involve razing three buildings, which include entities such as the Boy Scouts of America and the Bernard Martin Law Office.

The median value of a housing unit in La Grange is $547,200, more than double the state's, according to the U.S. Census.

State statistics show that La Grange increased its affordable housing over the last decade.