Two developers have advanced plans for roughly 200 residential units on Hinsdale's largest vacant property, the former Institute in Basic Life Principles campus at 707 W. Ogden Ave.
Burr Ridge-based McNaughton Development and Houston-based Belmont Village Senior Living are proposing 11 duplexes and a 169-unit senior living building on the roughly 13-acre northwest portion of the site, according to Patch. The duplexes would be age-targeted for residents 55 and older. The senior building would offer independent living, assisted living, and memory care.
On the remaining northeast corner, a separate developer has proposed "The Preserves of Hinsdale," a subdivision of single-family homes and a 15.5-acre park on 34.84 acres. The Hinsdale Village Board voted 5-0 on Tuesday, July 21, to refer that application to the Plan Commission, according to The Hinsdalean. A public hearing is set for Wednesday, September 9.
The two projects together would transform what Village President Greg Hart has called "one of the last pieces of undeveloped land in Hinsdale." The building has sat empty for years, drawing trespassing complaints as recently as July.
What the McNaughton/Belmont Village plan includes
Under the current proposal, traffic from the senior living and duplex development would exit onto Adams Street, not Ogden Avenue. McNaughton Development, a custom homebuilder operating in Chicagoland since 1983, would handle the duplexes. Belmont Village, which operates five senior communities in the greater Chicago area, would build and run the senior facility.
The developers held a community open house on Thursday, May 21, at The Community House to present their plans. At that meeting, Elaine Gilman of the Fullersburg neighborhood association told Patch the proposal compared favorably to earlier failed plans for the site.
"I think some of the reasons the others didn't go through were because the conceptual designs were very institutional. They were too large," Gilman said. "The concerns were traffic, taxing of our community resources and stormwater issues."
As of May, the developers said they hoped to submit a formal application to the village later in the summer. No Plan Commission hearing date for the McNaughton/Belmont Village plan has been announced.
Failed proposals and what's different
The IBLP site has resisted redevelopment before. Ryan Companies withdrew a plan for a 245-unit, 330,000-square-foot senior and assisted living facility in August 2020, according to village records. A subsequent 2022 Ryan Companies proposal for a 180-apartment senior facility was also rejected after residents objected to its scale and traffic impact.
Hart, speaking to The Hinsdalean in late April, signaled the village's priority is community fit over any particular land use.
"No matter what the use is, my biggest priority is to ensure that we get it right," Hart said.
What's next
The Plan Commission public hearing on The Preserves of Hinsdale subdivision is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9. McNaughton Development and Belmont Village have not yet announced a formal application date for their portion of the site.
