Villa Park announces Feb. 5 groundbreaking for 230-unit mixed-use development on Villa Avenue

Village Manager Mike Rivas announced Feb. 5 that the Village of Villa Park hosted a groundbreaking for a new mixed-use development on Villa Avenue that he said will combine residential living, commercial opportunities and recreational elements.

"This project is designed to enhance quality of life while strengthening our local economy," Rivas said, describing the development as a strategic investment intended to revitalize an underused area of the village.

Rivas said the event was held at the Villa Park Recreation Center and included village officials, staff and representatives from Market Properties and MetLife. He compared the scale of the project to the village's 2001 Olatine project, which he said introduced 144 apartment units and helped transform that area.

Rivas provided the project's headline numbers: "This project will include 230 luxury apartment units," and he said the plan also calls for retail space and pedestrian-focused design to improve connectivity and transportation access. He said recent site work included demolition of the final buildings to make way for construction.

Beyond the development, Rivas reviewed ongoing work by village departments. He said police and fire departments continue training and facility improvements, public works crews are addressing street and sewer maintenance and supporting upcoming capital improvement projects, and parks and recreation staff are planning community events and expanding programming.

Rivas also notified residents of upcoming public meetings, including a Village Board meeting on Feb. 23 and plan commission and green commission meetings scheduled this week, and encouraged public engagement on village matters.

The village manager's report did not include details about project financing, construction timeline or required approvals; those items were not specified in the report.