Residents warn First and Addison Ryan development could strain downtown parking, traffic and small businesses

Several Elmhurst residents raised concerns during public forum at the Elmhurst City Council meeting on Oct. 20 about a proposed Ryan development and an associated ECPA project at First and Addison, saying the project’s scale and location could harm downtown small businesses and increase traffic hazards.

The most immediate concerns centered on scale, parking and pedestrian safety near the proposed entrance across from the train station. Jonathan Keenan told the council he spoke “on behalf of the citizens of Elmhurst” and warned that replacing small shops with large restaurants, medical offices and bars could “have a profound impact on the economic viability of the town.”

The structure’s planned parking garage and increased vehicle and pedestrian volumes on narrow First Street prompted repeated safety warnings. Jason Clayton Clarita, who said he both lives and owns a barbershop in the area, said the intersection already experiences congestion, buses and heavy pedestrian activity and warned, “This is gonna be adding hundreds of new residents that would create constant gridlock.” Dave Samples, a First Street resident, said uncertainty about housing options and outreach to renters and families was a pressing issue: “There’s just a lot of uncertainty… It’d be nice to know what’s going on if there’s any kind of timelines.”

Community members also questioned the development’s tenure model. Keenan and others expressed concern that most units appear to be rentals rather than owner‑occupied condominiums, a trend they said could reduce long‑term resident investment in Elmhurst. Paula Wolf said the city is changing from what longtime residents remember and added, “We live in the shadow of these huge buildings and we don’t need any more apartments because these are transient people.”

Laurie Bazzell spoke at length about the history, transparency and scale of the ECPA proposal, saying community statements about preferred architectural scale and materials had differed from the newer concepts presented to the city. Bazzell said petitioning and social media activity reflected strong local concern, noting “over 1,400 signatures and hundreds of social media interactions” opposing aspects of the project’s size, location and transparency. She summarized a history of shifting capacity figures, citing earlier public materials that described smaller-seat plans and later reports showing larger capacities.

Kathy Rakowski and other speakers recommended alternative locations for a performing arts center, suggesting sites such as near the library as better fits for large cultural uses. Commenters asked for clearer outreach and timelines from developers and the city, and several said they feared displacing existing small businesses and residents.

The mayor closed the public forum after the scheduled speakers and said the council would not respond during the forum but was noting the comments. No formal council action on the Ryan development or the ECPA project was recorded on the Oct. 20 agenda.