HRA director updates commissioners on Gunflint View, The Heights, Highway 61 site and other housing projects

Jeff, presenting the HRA director’s report, briefed commissioners on several housing projects across Cook County and pressed for updated data to guide future planning.

Gunflint View: Jeff said an open house held “a couple weeks ago” drew strong attendance and that the developer and manager are arranging a separate tour for HRA staff. He reported drainage concerns identified by county highway engineer Robbie Haas, who flagged ditch work that “wasn't to the spec of the design originally” and noted discussions are ongoing between the developer and the county. Jeff said Gunflint View remains on track for a May 1 opening and that the project now shows “over 50%” of units reserved, with 23 units still available.

The Heights: The HRA closed on The Heights on Feb. 28, Jeff said. He described modular construction that will be shipped and staged locally; commissioners discussed the need to find temporary staging areas while components await on-site assembly. Jeff said the development may include space for a future childcare center.

1800 West (Highway 61) site: Jeff described the vacant lot west of WTIP and across from the Aspen Inn (referred to in the packet as the Old Town of Bogota site) and said developer Alex Duvall remains interested in building there. Commissioners discussed whether to update the county housing-study “snapshot” and strategic plan, noting the existing study is valid through 2026 but that more recent data could clarify demand and demographics.

Birchwood Apartments and Bjorkberg: Jeff said background closing work remains for Birchwood and that some financing obligations will trigger future HRA action. He also noted renewed interest in the Bjorkberg redevelopment and said the Planned Unit Development (PUD) will change from prior versions; the HRA previously returned some funding and was encouraged to reapply for ITRRR grant cycles.

Housing study and data: Commissioners discussed updating the housing study now that several new units are coming online. One commissioner urged the HRA to gather demographic information on who occupies the new apartments — for example, whether older local residents are moving into units and freeing family homes for workforce buyers — but staff noted rental managers often treat such data as confidential. Suggestions included voluntary resident surveys and use of census or other public data. Commissioner Sullivan said the study indicated a need for roughly 506 housing units (as previously reported in the packet) and urged careful tracking of who occupies new units to measure local impact.

Energy and envelope pilot; funding pipelines: Jeff reported four homeowners have accessed an energy-efficiency pilot fund and that the HRA is poised to receive the first invoice once the final testimonial and documentation are filed. He also said HRA staff are exploring additional state, federal and nonprofit funding for future rounds.

ITRRR and future grant prospects: Jeff said Hamilton Habitat received a GRAMA (grant) award in the Twin Cities funding round and that another ITRRR—request for proposals is expected in July with a funding date in the fall. He named projects that did not receive funding this round (Norris Scoggin and Bjorkberg among them) and encouraged developers to reapply. “We said no to a project three times before we said yes once,” Jeff said, urging persistence and project adjustments where needed.

Ending

Staff said they will prepare a clearer dashboard of financing and project status for the next meeting and will return with options on updating the housing study and possible approaches for collecting voluntary occupancy demographics.