What's Next for Addison Avenue? Elmhurst Officials Will Meet for an Update Monday

An update on the Addison Avenue parking deck project will be the topic of an Elmhurst Committee of the Whole meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26.

The project has been the topic of many meetings and much controversy over the past year. The developer, Addison Corridor LLC, working in conjunction with ARCO/Murray National Construction, had proposed a six-story building on the property, located at 135-149 N. Addison. Office space—with ARCO Murray as the intended tenant—was to occupy a large part of the structure, along with retail and parking. The original plan when the city contracted with Addison LLC back in 2009, was for parking and retail only, without an office component.

Last May, the Elmhurst Zoning and Planning Commission unanimously denied the request for six stories, and on July 15, the developer withdrew its pending conditional use application.

A letter to zoning administrators and signed by Brad Dannegger, regional manager and vice president of ARCO/Murray, reads, in part:

"We also believe that an office component to the Addison St. Parking Deck is a viable option. However, our potential tenant ARCO/Murray National Construction Company, Inc., due to their continued success and growth, no longer feel that the proposed office space in the Addison St. Parking Deck will meet their current or future needs."

Since then, 7th Ward Alderman Mark Mulliner has said he wants the city to "slow down" and rethink the Addison project and how it might fit into a development plan for the downtown as a whole.

"I think there are a number of things that have changed in the core block, enough that we need to take a different look at this," Mulliner said in June.

Monday's Committee of the Whole meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 209 N. York St., Public Comment will be accepted. Meetings of the city's four standing committees will follow.

Related:

• Six-story Building on Addison Gets a Big 'No' From Elmhurst Zoning Commission
• Residents' Opinions of Downtown Six-story Structure Unchanged After Public Hearing
• Developers of Addison Project Tackle Residents' Concerns at Public Hearing
• Developer of Addison Project is Granted More Time to Prepare for Hearing on Building Height
• Hear Discussions from Closed Session Meetings on Addison Avenue Development Project
• Minutes and Tapes of Closed Sessions Regarding Addison Avenue Project Made Public
• Attorney General's Office: Aldermen Violated Open Meetings Act with Closed Talks About Addison Project