Sugar Grove hears plans for The Grove, a massive mixed housing, commercial development

When it comes to growth, the village of Sugar Grove has been stuck in place for years.

That finally could change if The Grove, a 760-acre, master-planned mixed-use project is approved and the development is set into motion.

Crown Community Development recently submitted a formal land development application to the village of Sugar Grove for the project, which would feature several options for housing, more than 200 acres of open space, a town center, numerous public amenities and an assortment of commercial uses near the Interstate 88 and Route 47 interchange.

“The community has to keep evolving. We can’t stay stagnant,” Sugar Grove Village President Jennifer Konen said. “This is an evolution. They [Crown Community Development] have tried since 2007 to bring their property in and develop their property. That’s a long time and three times we’ve been kind of ‘No, that’s not right,’ and we’re at a place of impasse at this point. I don’t know what happens if it doesn’t get approved, but that’s where we are at today.”

CCD bought the land for The Grove between 2001 and 2006.

“We haven’t approved a development in 20 years in this town,” Konen said. “That’s part of our problem. We nitpick when someone comes in front of us.”

Konen ran for office in 2019 and was opposed to CCD’s previous plan that called for 8 million square feet of distribution warehouses. The new proposal is offering 3.5 million square feet.

“The biggest part about all this is we have asked that they didn’t have, and represent, all of one use in that amount of acreage in this community and they have listened,” Konen said. “They have answered that call. The residential market has returned and residential has returned to representing at least 50% of the plan.”

The newly unveiled project would use planned development district zoning, which would relegate the Grove Park warehouses to a single zone.

Grove Park could become home to places such as restaurants, retail shops, multifamily dining and health care.

“The community has to keep evolving, we can’t stay stagnant. This is an evolution. "

—  Jennifer Konen. Sugar Grove village president

“We have submitted applications for zoning and annexation of the 760-acre property into five distinctive zones for which the uses allowed for each zone is very specific as indicated in the PPD zoning ordinance,” Crown Community Development Director of Development Jennifer Cowan said. “The uses are limited in terms of what they can do in the zones so that Zone 4 can only have the warehouse distribution and some office space usages as well, but that’s restricted to that zone. On the south side of the interchange, there is absolutely no industrial and data centers allowed.”

Cowan said CCD incorporated the feedback it received from the village, residents and community stakeholders to create its latest plan for the project. The preservation of tree groves, additional open space and the PPD zoning are among the changes detailed in the application.

“A lot of understanding of what the needs of the community are went into developing plans that would be acceptable to the village,” Cowan said. “I can’t say that the plan won’t change through the process, but this is our proposal and a lot of time went into researching the best land uses and where to place those while also considering the desires of the community.”

The desires of the community are as varied as the opinions about The Grove and potential tax increment financing, especially when it’s a $350 million TIF. Hundreds showed up at a public hearing at Waubonsee Community College last month, many who voiced their concerns.

Uncertainty remains

In May, the Sugar Grove Joint Review Board did not recommend the creation of the TIF district with the vote being split 3-3 with six taxing bodies voting present.

“I can’t say that the plan won’t change through the process, but this is our proposal and a lot of time went into researching the best land uses and where to place those while also considering the desires of the community.”

—   Jennifer Cowan, director of development for CCD

Trucks dominating the roadways, an increase in traffic, pollution, soil contamination and property taxes have been some of the biggest concerns raised by Sugar Grove residents, as well as those near the proposed development in Blackberry Township.

“The residents of Sugar Grove are not going to feel a tax savings when this development is going on,” Konen said. “They’re not going to feel that tax really stabilized in their property taxes until the TIF is sunset or terminated or expired, but what will happen is this development will spur additional development throughout the community and that new EAV coming on will help stabilize our tax base.”

There’s always the unknowable, and the TIF could last 23 years.

“They are going to have to wait for this, but when this comes off, that’s new construction that has been added, which will be like a windfall at the end,” Konen said. “And that’s everybody’s complaint. I understand that is a complaint, but at the same time, if we do nothing, you’re waiting how many more years? There’s no new growth increase. From the village perspective, we have other revenue sources with sales tax, utility tax, income tax so we can improve our village because we’ve just generated all sorts of new revenues to help offset other areas of our community.”

She said the village is going to have its share of critics, especially when substantial growth, change and finances are on the table.

“My job as village president is to help dictate the direction of our community,” she said. “And while I believe that some might not like this plan, I believe [Crown Community Development] is the right developer and I believe this is the plan we need today. If the development doesn’t work for our entire community – not just the ones in closest proximity, but for our entire community – then it’s a bad plan. If it checks those boxes and we can make it work and some residents still don’t like it, does it work for the majority? And if it does, then it should be a yes.”

The vote on the TIF likely is to be scheduled at the next Village Board meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 20.