St. Charles city leaders to slow down process of redeveloping former police station site along Fox River

St. Charles leaders plan to take more time to figure out the best use for the former police station site along the Fox River.

St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek said she plans to revisit the redevelopment process in the spring. Discussion of two concept plans for the site has been dropped from the Nov. 14 City Council Planning and Development Committee meeting.

“The City Council has had a lot of discussion around the concepts proposed for the former police station site and we value all the feedback we received from our residents – both positive and negative,” Vitek said in a news release. “The developers’ submittals included intriguing concepts that warrant further evaluation to determine the best uses for the site. The City Council is going to take some time to refine its vision so we can capitalize on this amazing opportunity and deliver the right project for the community. This is prime property in the heart of our downtown. We want to get this right.”

Second Ward Alderman Ryan Bongard applauded Vitek’s decision.

“Her decision allows for further City Council and community discussion to ensure we reach a positive outcome for St. Charles,” Bongard said in a statement. “This project presents a rare opportunity to enrich our downtown, complement both City Hall and the riverfront while supporting all of St. Charles.”

St. Charles residents packed the City Council chambers Oct. 10 to hear about two redevelopment proposals for the former St. Charles police station site. During the City Council’s Planning and Development Committee meeting, Chicago-based Murphy Development Group and Frontier Development, which has been involved with several projects in downtown St. Charles, presented their plans for the land.

Murphy Development Group proposed to build a five- to seven-story building that would house 141 apartments, a restaurant and retail space. The project would cost an estimated $60.5 million, with the developer not seeking any incentives from the city.

Frontier Development, in partnership with Chicago-based The Prime Group and Architectural Wood Expressions, proposed to build one six-story building and parking garage that would contain 107 residential units, four restaurants, 164 hotel rooms, a spa/fitness center and conference space. An 85,000-square-foot outdoor plaza, two rooftop pools and 750 lineal feet of public riverwalk also are part of the plans.

The project would cost about $150 million to build, with the developers asking the city for up to $20 million tax increment financing and revenue sharing financing provided by the city.

Curt Hurst, who owns Frontier Development with his son Conrad, said he has been meeting with residents about the proposed development.

“I live downtown,” he said during the Oct. 10 meeting. “We want to get it right. We are definitely committed to work with the community.”

More than 700 people have signed a petition opposing Frontier Development’s plans. The petition, started by Eileen Kanute, opposes the plan for several reasons, including that the proposal is too big for the riverfront and that heavy traffic will overwhelm the surrounding neighborhoods and Main Street.

The petition also opposes the proposed $20 million tax increment financing and revenue sharing financing provided by the city. During the meeting, Curt Hurst compared the request to St. Charles agreeing to give developer Zylstra, LLC about $7.5 million in sales tax revenue bonds to bring a Costco store to St. Charles.