Developer planning affordable senior housing complex in St. Charles

ST. CHARLES – The developer of the affordable senior housing complex Anthony Place in St. Charles is moving ahead with the project's second phase.

At their meeting Wednesday, St. Charles plan commissioners reviewed a concept plan for the proposed four-story, 75 unit complex, which would be located on 4.31 acres north of Bricher Road, south of Route 38 (Lincoln Highway) and east of Randall Road. The project would be a sister facility to the $21.5 million Anthony Place at Prairie Centre, a 75-unit affordable senior housing complex that is 100% occupied that recently opened near the proposed project.

GC Housing Development LLC developed Anthony Place and wants to build a sister facility. The Shodeen Group owns the property.

"Like Anthony Place at Prairie Centre, this will also be an independent, senior affordable residential rental community," Chealon Shears, representing GC Housing Development and Crane Construction Company LLC, told plan commissioners.

A website for Anthony Place at Prairie Centre shows one-bedroom apartments starting at $790 and two-bedroom apartments at $950. She said the project fits in with the city's plans for the area.

"It will create new residential units that will potentially increase the customer base for surrounding businesses," Shears said.

As proposed, the project would include 82 parking spaces, with 70 of those being indoor garage spaces. Commissioners said they thought the project would be a good fit for the area, but that they would like to see additional parking included in the project, especially surface parking spaces.

"It would be nice to see outdoor spaces for the building, some sort of outdoor terraces the tenants could utilize," plan commissioner Jeffrey Funke said.