Central Park Drive site in O’Fallon selected for $11 million development proposal
Adjusted plans for O’Fallon’s latest major development could be official in two weeks.
The estimated $11.4 million project would start with 384 apartments units, then add a hotel, restaurants, retail, and entertainment in phases.
Unique to the metro-east, the 29-acre mixed-use proposal from Commercial Property Investors for Central Park Drive is being compared to the Streets of St. Charles in Missouri, which has been a regional destination for dining, shopping, entertainment and living space since 2008.
In a unanimous vote Monday, March 7, the O’Fallon City Council advanced the 29-acre proposal for final approval March 21, after accepting the staff recommendations and input from the O’Fallon Planning Commission and Community Development Committee.
Located at 1245 Central Park Drive, it is 1/2-mile northwest of Green Mount Road and is an undeveloped agricultural site.
It is surrounded by a mix of residential, commercial, and vacant land. To the north is the parking lot for Serra Honda, to the east is Kloss Furniture, Northern Tool, Club Fitness and CarMax. To the south is Gateway Classic Cars.
Community Development Director Justin Randall said Commercial Property Investors seeks approval to subdivide the property into four lots:
- Lot 1 will feature four three-story apartment buildings with 26 units each and Lot 2 will be commercial, with the potential for restaurant space, possibly with one drive-thru and others with alcohol sales, plus retail, or an entertainment destination.
- Lot 2, right now, is conceptual and specific details regarding tenants and building design have not been determined.
- Lot 3 will contain a four-story, 94-room hotel. Developer Darrell Shelton said they would work with Hilton Hotels and identified Home2 Suites as a potential fit.
- Lot 4 would include a four-story apartment building with 240 units — to feature 32 three-bedroom units, 104 two-bedroom units and 104 one-bedroom units and onsite amenities.
The other apartment community on Lot 3 will be arranged around a central lake, clubhouse, and pool, with 72 two-bedroom units and 72 one-bedroom units.
Both apartment communities will have detached garages in addition to surface parking.
The hotel will be a four-story building with 94 rooms and will not be a conference hotel nor have a restaurant/bar. The developer is awaiting confirmation from Hilton that it could be a Home 2 Suites, an extended stay hotel.
Ken Goessling, a representative for Darrel Shelton, has told city officials this will be a premier development, with upscale housing similar to recent developments in Edwardsville. The variety of units is to meet changing customer demands
More on development in O’Fallon
Dan Hurford of Hurford Architects told the Planning Commission the apartments will range from 750-1,600 square feet.
The council approved the Planning Commission’s recommendation from Feb. 22 for a proposed alternative parking plan that allows residents to have 1.3 parking spaces per unit, and also supported a crosswalk to provide pedestrian safety when crossing Central Park Drive.
Randall explained developers requested a redevelopment agreement for the project because it is in the Central Park TIF District.
Their proposed budget is $11.4 million in expected eligible expenses for the project. Randall indicated, while that is proposed budget, the agreement will only pay 50% of the tax increment created by the project.
This will be a resolution when the ordinance is up for adoption at the March 21 meeting.
Town Hall Meeting
Mayor Herb Roach said he will conduct his 18th town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at O’Fallon City Hall. They will cover the New City 2040 Master Plan and the new ward map for the city’s seven wards. This town hall will be open to the public and aired on Zoom (people must register at ofallon.org).
Additionally, this year’s fireworks display will be Sunday, July 3, at the Family Sports Park.
Other council action
In other action, the council approved an intergovernmental agreement with Fairview Heights so a contract by the Illinois Department of Transportation can be awarded for intersection work at West U.S. 50 and Old Collinsville Road.
The project in Ward 5 will add southbound and westbound right turn lanes to the existing signalized intersection.
Fairview Heights and O’Fallon will share the cost of the local match portion. The local Motor Fuel Tax funds are $155,674.
Another resolution using construction funding of $344,326 from CMAQ federal funds — Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program — for the project was approved.
The council approved paying Millennia Engineering Services $49,800 for the State Street Drainage Study, which will analyze the storm water drainageway that begins on State Street between Countryside Lane and Lawn Avenue and end at Juniper Drive.
During heavy rainfall, this section of State Street floods causing the roadway to become impassable. This study will analyze this area and provide a schematic design and cost estimate to alleviate the flooding. This project is located in Wards 1 and 6.
Ukrainian Help
Alderman Jerry Albrecht said his church, First United Methodist Church, has been working with a church in Kielce, Poland, for about 15 years. The Polish church is aiding refugees fleeing Ukraine and entering its country.
If anyone would like to contribute, his church will make sure the donation goes to the Polish church to help the Ukrainian refugees. He said to make a check out to the First United Methodist Church and in the memo line, write “Ukraine relief.”
“It’s going directly to the people,” O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach said.
The address is: 504 East U.S. 50, O’Fallon, IL 62269