The East Dundee Village Board is moving forward with contract negotiations to redevelop the former Haeger Potteries property for residential use even though not all trustees are sold on the project.
In a 4-2 vote Monday, the board accepted a plan from Brinshore Development that reduces the number of residential units to 73 new two- and three-story townhomes to be built on the open portion of the 7-acre property and 21 apartments to be built in the existing Haeger building.
All of the units will be rental, with the number decreasing from the originally proposed 136.
The development at 7 Maiden Lane also will include a plaza, riverfront park and community center. River Street will be converted into a two-way road to improve traffic flow.
Mike Roane, Brinshore’s senior vice president, asked the board to sign off on the plan so the company could start putting together a final deal that would allow them to proceed with the final design work and apply for financing.
“Right now, we are just kind of spinning our wheels and not getting very far,” Roane said.
Once a contract is hammered out, it will return to the board for final approval.
Trustees Scott Kunze and Ryan Gumma voted against the proposal, saying they preferred single-family housing. Kunze acknowledged that Brinshore did “a good job reacting to what residents have asked for,” but “I don’t think I’m all in on this right now.”
While Trustees Kathleen Mahony and Matt Oclon supported the concept and voted yes, fellow board members Andy Sauder and Tricia Saviano said they were doing so despite having reservations.
“We have this amazing property and one chance to get it right,” Saviano said. “We’re putting all of our eggs in one rental basket. That’s where I struggle. … I’m having a hard time with that one.”
Brinshore presented the board with three options for the site development and then, based on feedback from neighboring property owners and other residents who raised concerns about the density, traffic and parking at a community meeting, reworked it to come up with a final plan presented Monday.
“We want to let you know we’ve heard your comments, and we’ve tried to revise the plan as best as possible,” Roane said.
A range of rent price options will be available, with 20% paying market rate; 60% paying 60% of the Area Median Income, which is $119,000; and 20% of paying 30% of the Area Median Income.
“We do mixed income housing, that’s what Brinshore does,” Roane said. “This is how we maximize housing options for residents of the community.”
Mahony said she appreciated the reduction of units, which she believes fit in better with with the surrounding neighborhood.
But Kunze said the mix of rents was not something he was seeking in the development. “We have lower rents around already. I just don’t know if it’s the right solution for us,” he said.
Roane said they push for affordable housing because it helps families save to purchase homes. Their requirement is everyone who signs a lease must have a job, he said.
“They may be working at Target. They may work at a gas station. They may be a teacher who is just starting out. Those rents are intended to help those people,” he said.
Village Manager Erika Storlie said Kane County, like the rest of the country, has a housing shortage, Storlie said.
“A majority of people who work in Kane County can’t live in the county because it’s not affordable,” she said. The issue is overwhelming, and “we really can’t do enough. We really can’t do it fast enough, and we can’t do it well enough. But what we can do is something.”
Storlie also noted that the property has a lot of problems, including an underground storage tank that needs to be removed. The village is waiting for a report on the water and soil contamination, she said.
East Dundee is offering tax incentives through a Tax Increment Financing district because developers don’t want to deal with the environmental cleanup, she said.
“Right now, it is a contaminated site,” Storlie said. “It is going to require a lot of remediation. The village doesn’t have the money or the bandwidth or the wherewithal to take it on.
“We need someone else to take on that risk, take on the responsibility, and build something that is a product and can be put on the tax rolls. … It’s not like I have all of these other options to present to you.”
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/21/dundee-haeger-brinshore-rental-apartments-townhomes/