Developer wants to build houses at site of former Mundelein roofing business
A developer wants to build 16 houses in Mundelein on land now occupied by an unused industrial building.
The houses are proposed for a 2.8-acre site the village owns at 538 N. Morris Ave. in the downtown area.
The 14,850-square-foot brick building there once was home to the Bradco Supply Corp., now a division of the ABC Supply Co. The business relocated to Wauconda in 2009 and the building has been unoccupied since.
The village bought the site in 2016 for $200,000 to better control its redevelopment.
Not long after the village bought the property, developers proposed converting the building into retail and restaurant space. But the project never solidified.
A different company, K. Hovnanian Homes, now wants to put single-family houses with detached garages on the land. The village would demolish the existing building.
Jon Isherwood, Hovnanian Homes' director of land acquisition, unveiled the company's plan during Monday's village board meeting. Isherwood called it "a really exciting opportunity" because of the site's location in downtown Mundelein and its proximity to the nearby Metra train station.
The houses would be built on about 2.3 acres. The village would keep about a half-acre for future development, according to documents.
The houses likely would be between 2,000 square feet and 2,600 square feet, and they'd have relatively small yards, Isherwood said. He compared the concept to traditional Chicago houses and said many younger homebuyers want smaller lots.
As part of the deal, Hovnanian Homes would redesign and rebuild stretches of Morris Avenue and Park Street near the development. New sidewalks would be built, too.
More public discussions and village approvals of architectural designs and other elements will be needed to make the proposal a reality.
Later in Monday's meeting, trustees agreed to hire Signature Demolition Services of Bridgeview to knock down the old Bradco building. The work could begin in August and will cost $109,815.