Crystal Lake development: 124 apartments completed east of Route 31; Water’s Edge begins commercial phase

Construction is complete on more than 100 single-story apartments in a new neighborhood east of Route 31, while developers of the Water’s Edge project aim to start building commercial space for restaurants and retail this summer in Crystal Lake.

Other projects are also underway, including 48 units of owner-occupied townhomes at Bard and Huntley roads, the Lennar Woodlore Townes I and II townhomes adjacent to the Woodlore Estates subdivision, and the Clover Group’s 121-unit age-restricted apartment development at the corner of Route 176 and Terra Cotta Road.

“The new housing options allow for residents to age-in-place and for new residents to join the community,” Community Development Director Kathryn Cowlin said.

Here’s more on two of the new developments:

Redwood Apartments

Redwood has completed the first phase of the development which will total 304 units when completed, Cowlin said.

McShane Construction Co. completed 124 single-story apartments on behalf of Redwood Living Inc., according to a McShane release. Located at 1036 Laceflower Drive, it has 25 single-story townhome-style buildings with four to six units each.

“We are proud to have partnered with Redwood to bring this new neighborhood to life in Crystal Lake,” said David Rintz, McShane regional vice president of multi-family. “Redwood Crystal Lake offers residents a unique combination of privacy, convenience and upscale finishes, and we’re excited to see this build-to-rent community thrive.”

Each apartment has a two-bedroom, two-bathroom open-concept floor plan with an attached two-car garage and a patio. On-site amenities include green spaces, pet waste stations and designated guest parking.

Water’s Edge

Construction continues at Water’s Edge, at the former Crystal Court shopping center with the start of commercial buildings at the 30-acre project on Route 14 adjacent to Three Oaks Recreation Area.

Residents started to move into the first built apartments late last year and residential construction continues, Cowlin said.

Developers came back for city approval for slight changes on a small section of the property bordering Route 14. Developers added more parking and slightly widened the three-tenant commercial building with a pickup window.

Contracts with tenants are not yet finalized, so no businesses were named. Core Acquisitions Vice President of Development Adam Bell said they are looking to bring in “high-class users that are high-volume, national brands that are exciting and new to the community.”

Bell said they are working with a “national breakfast/brunch chain,” a national eyeglass and optometry company and a national quick-service restaurant that will have a pickup window for mobile and online orders.

The city’s planning and zoning panel on Wednesday gave a unanimous recommendation to the City Council. The council will vote on the proposal March 4. If approved, construction is expected to start this summer.

The Jimmy John’s on the Water’s Edge property will remain open until its lease ends at the end of 2025. Then developers will demolish that building and create a parking lot, Cowlin said.

Developers are expected to come to the city again on approval to build another commercial building and a sit-down restaurant in the spring, city documents show.

Water’s Edge started construction in 2023 on what eventually will be more than 40,000 square feet of retail and restaurant spaces, open public areas and 260 units of housing, the city of Crystal Lake said in a 2023 news release. The project, developed by Heartland Real Estate Partners, will be the largest in the city, according to the release.