The Naperville City Council is seeking outside guidance to assist it in deciding how — or if — it should proceed on pursuing new projects for the city-owned land around the Fifth Avenue train station north of downtown.
Council members agreed this week to submit the paperwork needed to request strategic advice through an expert panel hosted by the Urban Land Institute, known as the ULI.
This marks the city’s latest attempt at charting a new path forward on Fifth Avenue land. Efforts to redevelop the site — just over 14.5 acres of land owned or leased by the city — have been discussed on and off for more than a decade.
Most recently, the city worked on a redevelopment plan with Minnesota-based Ryan Cos., which got as far as presenting a baseline concept plan to the city in October 2019. That proposal, though, was denied after facing resistance from residents.
The city planned to continue working on Ryan’s proposal until the COVID-19 pandemic stalled progress and the matter was placed on the back burner.
At a July 16 council meeting, Councilman Josh McBroom resurrected the issue. Council members were generally open to revisiting the topic but wanted to proceed with caution to avoid mistakes made during previous redevelopment efforts.
Staff was directed to prepare a report on the site that included background, lessons learned from prior work, best uses for the property moving forward and a roadmap for work. To guide the next steps, staff suggested in September that the city seek out technical services from ULI.
According to its website, ULI is a “network of cross-disciplinary real estate and land use experts.” Through the use of a “technical assistance panel,” communities can obtain comprehensive and strategic advice on a specific land use or development project, ULI says.
The process entails a two-day panel review devoted to researching and answering questions in response to a community’s query. Panelists would likely include developers, architects, planners, transportation experts, lenders and attorneys, none of whom are based in Naperville.
The panel’s work would range from interviewing community leaders and local stakeholders to soliciting feedback from the general public and elected officials. Members would also engage in several closed working sessions based on input received before ultimately making recommendations.
The service comes at a cost of $25,000.
At its Tuesday meeting, the council provided the final input staff needs to complete the application paperwork for a Fifth Avenue panel.
The council decided on five questions:
- What is the most effective way to move forward with a redevelopment strategy for the non-transit uses on the site?
- Other than new housing opportunities, what are the highest and best uses of the study area, or each sub portion of the study area?
- How can new development on the site address Naperville’s known housing gaps, including missing middle, attainable and affordable housing, while meeting private development interests?
- What amenities and design features should be incorporated into the new development to maintain and enhance the neighborhood’s unique character?
- How can the study area be redeveloped to function as a transit-oriented development and what are the best practices for developing around transit centers?
Staff plans to submit the city’s application next week, according to city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche. ULI accepts applications on a rolling basis. It typically does not do more than two panels a year because they take four to six months to prepare and complete, staff say.
Once the city applies, it will wait to hear back from ULI, LaCloche said. Depending on the nature and timing of the institute’s response, a panel review could be conducted as soon as June or July 2025.