Forest Pointe
Forest Pointe – Enhancing Downtown Downers Grove
Forest Pointe, located at 5114 Forest Avenue in Downers Grove, is designed to contribute meaningfully to the vibrancy and cohesion of the downtown core. Our vision is to support a dynamic mix of shopping, dining, entertainment, and residential uses, while being mindful of minimizing noise and preserving the privacy of nearby residences.
We aspire for Forest Pointe to become an integral part of the social and civic fabric of the community—fostering a walkable, welcoming environment that encourages people to gather, connect, and enjoy the downtown experience. To ensure the safety of both customers and employees, the building will feature well-lit front and rear entryways.
The architectural presence of Forest Pointe is intended to enhance the visual appeal of the downtown area, benefiting the community, stimulating economic activity, and attracting foot traffic and window shoppers. Careful attention has been given to the placement, orientation, and scale of the building to create a strong sense of place, avoid mid-block driveways, and maintain harmony with adjacent structures.
To ensure the building integrates seamlessly into its surroundings, Forest Pointe’s height will be proportionate to neighboring buildings, contributing to a sense of enclosure and continuity. The mass and scale of the structure will be softened through the use of windows, landscaping, architectural offsets and insets, and high-quality materials. Design elements such as large display windows, complementary awnings, low bulkheads, transoms, and horizontal detailing will help establish a welcoming and pedestrian-friendly ground level.
The exterior color palette will complement the existing downtown aesthetic, incorporating natural brick and stone hues in tones of red, buff, white, cream, and gray, ensuring visual harmony with nearby buildings.
5114 Forest Avenue – Downers Grove, IL
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The petitioner is proposing to construct a 39,000 square foot, three-story mixed-use development at the southwest corner of Forest Avenue and Gilbert Avenue. The petitioner is requesting approval of a Special Use, Planned Unit Development to permit the construction of the multi-family mixed-use development. The mixed-use development is appropriately based on the proposed development, providing additional housing variety on a catalyst site that promotes the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.
The subject site consists of four single-family residential lots with existing homes and garages.
The petitioner is proposing to combine the four lots and redevelop the property with a three-story mixed-use building containing the following:
Street Level:
13,000 sq.ft.
(1) Restaurant Unit
(3) Retail Units
(1) Garage
Level Two:
13,000 sq.ft.
(9) Office Units
(2) Restrooms
Level Three:
3,000 sq.ft.
(4) Residential Units
Basement Level:
5,454 sq.ft.
(13) Parking Stalls
(2) Handicapped Parking Stalls
The underground parking garage includes (13) parking stalls and (2) handicapped parking stalls with access to the underground garage from Gilbert Avenue.