The Aurora City Council’s Committee of the Whole recently reviewed plans for a new townhouse development called Kingsley Row. After 18 months of negotiation, the project is set to bring 185 townhomes in 38 buildings to the land near Fox Valley Mall. This area, formed by the intersection of Ogden Avenue and 75th Street on Aurora’s east side, has long remained undeveloped, according to city officials.
The townhouses will feature two and three-story designs, offering between two and three bedrooms. The homes will be priced from mid- to upper $500,000s, as noted by Zach Kenitzer, manager of land planning for developer M/I Homes. A final decision on the development is expected during the City Council meeting on August 25.
Local officials emphasized that the project will provide much-needed housing and increase both property and sales tax revenue. Additionally, the location benefits from being within School District 204 and its proximity to highways. However, reaching an agreement required overcoming several hurdles, including new sustainability standards and added green spaces, explained David Dibo, head of the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development.
“It wasn’t necessarily a traditional thing,” Dibo remarked. “It took a lot more time. It’s interesting how you could see things would not come together but that’s why I think it was exciting that it did come together, that everybody showed the good faith and flexibility to make it come together.”
M/I Homes agreed to extend Commons Drive, which currently dead-ends on both sides of the property. This road will connect with improvements to Route 34 and 75th Street, all financed by the developer, according to Russ Whitaker, M/I Homes’ attorney. Initially, Aurora planned a mixed-use development known as Melody Town Center, which was ultimately abandoned. As part of the new plans, M/I Homes will handle infrastructure responsibilities originally slated for the city.
The development will extend Commons Drive, linking Ogden Avenue in the north with 75th Street in the south, according to Senior Planner Jill Morgan. The intersection at Ogden Avenue is set to include dedicated turn lanes, while 75th Street will feature dual left-turn lanes. Sidewalks will be built along Commons Drive, but not on Ogden Avenue or 75th Street; M/I Homes will instead provide a fee to the city.
Incorporating performance-based home-efficiency standards marked a new venture for M/I Homes. The standards, aligned with state efficiency benchmarks, increase costs by $8,000 to $10,000 per unit. The city capped permit fees to offset this, saving M/I Homes an estimated $2,000 to $2,500 per unit. The Choose Aurora Homebuyer Assistance Program offers additional financial support to potential buyers through loans and grants.
The efficiency measures include enhanced insulation and sealing, which will lower utility bills and improve home quality. The homes are more resilient, maintaining cooler conditions during power outages. Both the city and M/I Homes view this as a learning experience in sustainability efforts.
“Sustainability has been a priority throughout Laesch’s administration,” said Lindburg. Mayor John Laesch noted that energy-efficient housing demand will grow as climate conditions change. “The companies that embrace this sooner will survive,” he expressed.
The project lacks a sound wall, a preference expressed by city leaders due to the noise from nearby traffic. Initially designated for automotive and commercial use in 1998, the site was considered for an assisted living facility in 2019, a plan that never materialized.
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