St. Charles Mayor Lora Vitek today announced she is revisiting the review process for concepts submitted to redevelop the former St. Charles Police Station site at 211 N. Riverside Avenue.
Four proposals were submitted March 15, 2022, in answer to the Request for Concepts the City released in November 2021. Of those original four developers, two opted to proceed and present revised projects to City Council. After the public discussion at the Oct. 10, 2022 Planning and Development Committee, a Committee of the Whole, no recommendation was given to move forward with either of the concepts presented.
“The Council has had a lot of discussion around the concepts proposed for the former Police Station site, and we value all the feedback we received from our residents—both positive and negative,” said Mayor Lora Vitek. “The developers’ submittals included intriguing concepts that warrant further evaluation to determine the best uses for the site. The Council is going to take some time to refine its vision so we can capitalize on this amazing opportunity and deliver the right project for the community. The City Council believes some valid issues were raised in the public discussions when the concepts were presented. I am taking the time to engage staff to further look into issues such as parking, traffic and use of the river. While this may slow the process a bit, I believe the additional research and review are important to the successful redevelopment of the site. This is prime property in the heart of our downtown. We want to get this right."
The concept plans will not be discussed at the Nov. 14, 2022 Planning and Development Committee meeting. Mayor Vitek plans to revisit the process next Spring.
