Plans for affordable senior housing building in Oswego moving forward

Plans for a proposed affordable senior housing building in Oswego continue to move forward.

At their Dec. 5 meeting, Oswego planning and zoning commissioners recommended approval of preliminary plans for the proposed three-story, 40-unit independent senior apartment building, which would be built on 5.6 acres east of Ogden Falls Boulevard and south of Route 34.

They also recommended the land be rezoned from business use to residential use. Village trustees will now review the plans.

A few residents at the meeting voiced concerns about the height of the proposed building and that the project would increase traffic congestion in the area. Residents living in Skylark Senior Apartments would have to be at least 55 years old.

“We believe that this will help meet the demand for high-quality senior housing,” Hume An, vice president and regional project partner for Lincoln Avenue Capital, told planning and zoning commissioners.

Lincoln Avenue Communities, which builds affordable communities, is a subsidiary of Lincoln Avenue Capital. Last year, Lincoln Avenue Communities broke ground on affordable senior housing projects in Island Lake and Rochelle.

The building would be 42 feet tall at its highest point.

“It is the highest peak of the roof,” An said. “But most of it is lower than that.”

Plan commissioner Rick Kuhn said he would like to see the developer improve the building’s appearance.

“If you want us to be impressed with who you are and what you do, then build a quality product for us, something that’s going to last,” he said.

Other commissioners agreed. An said his his firm is happy to work with the village regarding the plans.

As proposed, the building would include 30 one-bedroom units and 10 two-bedroom units. The building would include an elevator, a community room, a fitness center and on-site property management.

The developer is applying for public funding through the Illinois Housing Development Authority to build the project. The IHDA was created as a self-supporting agency to finance affordable housing across Illinois.

“We’re looking to submit a funding application to them in March of next year,” An said. “And then we’d look to close on financing in early summer 2026.”

Construction is expected to take between 12-14 months. Plans are for the building to be leased out by February 2028 and to be fully operational by March 2028.

The lot in the Ogden Falls commercial subdivision is currently 8.2 acres. Plans are to subdivide the lot into two parcels.

The senior apartment building would be built on the southern parcel and the northern 2.6 acre parcel would remain vacant for future commercial development.

“We’re only purchasing the southern portion,” An said. “We believe that it serves as a good transition to some of the commercial uses to the west and serves as a good transition from those to the townhomes and single-family homes to the east.”

The height restriction on a commercial building would be 60 feet, staff said. The village’s Comprehensive Plan designates the area for commercial use.

Oswego Assistant Development Services Director Rachel Riemenschneider noted the property has been vacant for more than 20 years.

“Staff believes that the senior living use will provide a suitable transition between future commercial and the existing single-family residential uses to the south,” she said.

Village staff has recommended approving preliminary plans for the project and rezoning the land. Because the development would be age restricted, school impact and land/cash fees will be waived and park donations will be made in the form of cash in lieu of land, Riemenschneider said.