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Council approves rezoning for Forest Trail apartments after hours of public comment
Summary
After extensive public comment raising concerns about density, traffic and schools, the Downers Grove Village Council unanimously approved a PUD designation and rezoning for 1020 31st Street (Forest Trail Luxury Apartments). Council members cited adaptive reuse, reduced impermeable area and projected tax revenues as benefits.
The Downers Grove Village Council voted unanimously on July 21 to rezone 1020 31st Street and designate the site as Planned Unit Development No. 75, permitting conversion of the existing office building into a 184-unit apartment building known in materials as Forest Trail Luxury Apartments.
Residents filled the council chamber to oppose the rezoning, pressing concerns about density, traffic safety and pressures on area schools. Greg Donahue, who said he lives in Orchard Brook, asked the council to reconsider B-2 zoning for a building that is “100% residential” and urged either rezoning the property to an R district or requiring further feasibility and buffering studies. “I would request a feasibility study to give her on that the supply and demand match for this area,” Donahue told the council during public comment.
Council members and staff framed the proposal differently. Staff reported the building is currently rated for a maximum 1,100 workers under office occupancy formulas and that the proposed 184 units are projected to house about 326 residents—“774 fewer potential people” than the building’s prior office capacity, staff said. The applicant offered a one-time cash‑in‑lieu payment of $1,150,084.75 and staff estimated more than $800,000 in additional annual property-tax revenue tied to the project, much of which would flow to the school districts. A council member summarized the village’s objectives: saving an underused building, adding housing near employment and transit, and reducing impermeable surface area.
After deliberation—during which several commissioners said they shared neighbors’ concerns about precedent and asked staff to pursue a broader focus plan for the office park—the council passed the ordinance and the rezoning motion by roll call vote. The clerk recorded unanimous “Aye” votes from the mayor and all commissioners. The approval is subject to the standard PUD follow-up: staff said final PUD plans and building permits must be submitted within the year and that engineering, building code and financing hurdles remain before construction can begin.
