A five-story, 72-unit mixed-use building proposed for three village-owned parcels on Madison Street faces its first formal public hearing Thursday, July 9, before the River Forest Development Review Board. The board is scheduled to vote on findings of fact the same night.

The project from Five Thirty One Partners LLC would rise at 7620 Madison St., 11 Ashland Ave., and 10 Lathrop Ave., replacing vacant land the village assembled over several years. At 71 feet 8 inches tall with zero-foot setbacks on all four sides, the building would far exceed River Forest's current C2 zoning limits of 30 feet in height and 2,800 square feet of lot area per dwelling unit.

Developer Viktor Jakovljevic and partner Chuck Westphal are proposing 72 market-rate apartments across four residential floors above ground-floor retail, with 3,380 square feet of commercial space and 87 parking spots (54 indoor, 33 outdoor). The three parcels total 37,465 square feet, yielding a floor area ratio of 3.3.

Westphal told the DRB at its February 19 meeting that the project's economics depend on its current scale. "The building height and density are very important and make the development significantly less economical with eliminations," he said. He also called underground parking financially prohibitive.

Residents have pushed back hard. At that same February 19 session, eight people spoke during public comment, raising concerns about density, traffic, parking, and school district impact. Only one resident, Bill Iannessa, spoke in support. Resident Annette Madden told the board she had walked several blocks around the site and counted fewer than 72 homes, illustrating the building's scale relative to the surrounding neighborhood.

River Forest resident Tanju Sofu, writing on oakpark.com on July 7, called the proposal "a backdoor attempt to bypass the rules." In 2024, a separate village effort to raise C2 height limits to 50 feet and reduce density standards was rejected following community opposition, according to village zoning records.

The site sits within River Forest's Madison Street TIF district, established in 2016. The village received a $350,000 state grant for demolition of former structures on the parcels. Village President Catherine Adduci told Jakovljevic at the January 26 Village Board meeting that traffic "must remain a top priority." Madison Street is an IDOT road, complicating traffic control options, according to Village Administrator Matt Walsh.

The hearing begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9, at the SMG Athletic Facility (door #8) of Trinity High School, 7574 Division St. Residents who wish to speak must email [email protected] by 5 p.m. that day and attend in person. The meeting is available for listening only via Zoom (Meeting ID: 882 8471 9344).

If the DRB recommends approval, the application would advance to the Village Board of Trustees for a final vote.