Welcome to Tri-Cities Central, a twice-weekly newsletter highlighting local happenings in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and surrounding communities.
Get yours: subscribe here. Refer a friend: share this link.
A developer wants to build 44 affordable apartments for seniors on a vacant lot off Blackberry Drive in Geneva, near Route 38 and Bricher Road.
The Geneva Planning and Zoning Commission took an early look at the plan on Oct. 22. No vote was taken. Some commissioners voiced support for the project.
Here’s what to know:
The site: The last undeveloped piece of the Blackberry Commons office park, the 1.25-acre lot sits between two office buildings within walking distance of Walgreens, a bank, medical offices, and a bus stop. The city flagged this site as a potential spot for affordable housing back in 2020.
The building: Northpointe Development is proposing a three-story building with 33 one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom apartments.
Defining affordable: According to Geneva’s Affordable Housing Plan, housing is considered affordable when a household earning a certain percentage of the regional median income could live there without spending more than 30% of its income on housing costs. That percentage is 60% of the median for rentals and 80% for owned homes.
Commissioner feedback: Two commissioners asked whether the building could be open to residents of all ages rather than just seniors. One questioned how many Geneva seniors would actually meet the income limits.
The developer said it will likely make some changes to the site plan before returning with a formal proposal.
Read more about the proposed project in this agenda packet.
📖 Thanks for reading
Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] with questions or comments.
Not signed up yet? Subscribe here.