St. Charles approves plans for development near former Charlestowne Mall

The St. Charles City Council has given the go-ahead for Fox Haven Square, a commercial development near the former Charlestowne Mall site on the city’s east side.

The council approved the plans at its July 22 meeting.

Bartlett-based developer Greco Investment Management, LLC is looking to construct four buildings around a central plaza that would house a mix of restaurants, stores and an indoor pickleball complex on a vacant 7.5-acre parcel at the corner of Kirk Road and Route 64, between the Jewel Osco and Old Second National Bank.

St. Charles Plan Commission and Planning and Development Committee members both recommended approval of the plans in June and City Council members unanimously approved the plans at the July 22 meeting as part of the consent agenda without discussion.

Plans call for three buildings on the east side of the lot to be a mix of restaurants and commercial space, each between 1,400 square feet and 2,600 square feet, surrounding an outdoor dining area, community plaza and valet drop-off area. The fourth building would be a 20,000-square-foot, two-story indoor pickleball facility and restaurant on the southwest side of the lot.

A 434-space parking lot would be constructed on the west side of the lot along Kirk Road, which would be shared with the surrounding businesses. Sidewalks would be constructed along Kirk Road.

The development would be accessed from existing driveways off Route 64 from the south and Kirk Road from the west. The existing north-south access drive from Route 64 to Jewel-Osco would be maintained and a new east-west access drive connecting Kirk Road to the Charlestowne Mall site would be constructed.

Discussions over the development began at a June 4 Plan Commission meeting, when a public hearing on the development was held and petitioners gave a presentation on behalf of Greco Investment Management, LLC. Petitioners and commission members engaged in more than an hour of discussion before Plan Commission members unanimously recommended approval of the development.

Planning and Development Committee members also unanimously recommended approval of the development at their June 10 meeting.

Greco also owns the Pheasant Run industrial park, Royal Fox Country Club and several other industrial, retail and office buildings in the Fox Valley area. The Greco team is in the process of acquiring the Jewel-Osco building adjacent to the development.

Developers are hoping to have the first businesses operating in Fox Haven Square by September 2025. Businesses may include notable Chicago-based restaurants Parlor Pizza Bar and Hampton Social, as well as a Mexican restaurant and a Burger Local.