West Dundee to consider 280 apartments near Randall Road
A 280-unit apartment community proposed in West Dundee could help unify a high-traffic area and stimulate commercial growth, village officials said.
A plan introduced this week by Wisconsin-based HSI Properties calls for constructing a clubhouse and 14 residential buildings, each with 20 apartments, near Randall Road and Recreation Drive. The project would take up just over half of a 47.5-acre property north of Route 72.
The undeveloped land is surrounded by a mix of uses, including Dundee Middle School to the west, the Randall Oaks Recreational Center and ball fields to the north, a subdivision with single-family houses to the south, and several industrial and commercial buildings nearby. Creating multifamily residences at the center of that activity is a good fit, Community Development Director Tim Scott said.
"That particular area has a collection of different land uses," he said. "A residential (project) provides an opportunity to start to weave it together into a whole and give it more of a neighborhood feeling."
The L-shaped property also offers the potential for commercial development along Randall Road, as well as more residences or a complementary use to the south, Scott said.
A concept plan for the proposed HSI project received support Monday from the village board. The company now will have to go through a formal review and approval process, which likely will begin next month, Scott said.
Elements of the proposal, such as the size, building form and layout, somewhat mirror the Springs at Canterfield community nearing completion off Route 31, Scott said. Both projects aim to meet a recent demand for high-end rental apartments serving empty-nesters and young professionals.
Instead of a typical multilevel apartment complex with common corridors, HSI Properties intends to construct townhouse-style, two-story buildings with private entries into each unit, according to the company's proposal. The project, which also includes a park and various amenities, targets a demographic that "wants the community they live in to feel more suburban," representatives said.
Plans for the development include 28 studio, 112 one-bedroom, 112 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom apartments, many of which would have access to attached or detached garages. A community clubhouse would contain a club room, a fitness facility, a leasing office and a pool.
If the review and approval process goes smoothly, officials predict construction could begin as early as next summer.