A major Route 59 corridor development is now one step closer to construction.
A 297-unit luxury apartment building at CityGate Centre cleared Naperville's Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday, June 3 on a 5-1 vote.
City Gate II is a four-story complex proposed by Willow Bridge Property Co. for roughly 5 acres at Ferry Road and Comfort Drive, east of Route 59 near Interstate 88. The site currently holds a 79-space surface parking lot.
Commissioner Meghna Bansal cast the lone dissenting vote. "Would this be possible to reduce the number of units and make it less dense to better align with the city's development character?" Bansal asked during the hearing. The 297-unit count is more than triple the 83 units city code normally allows for the site.
Project attorney Eric Prechtel argued the location justifies the density, telling commissioners that if anywhere should have higher density, this is the spot.
Commissioner Shafeek Abubaker sided with the developer, saying he could not think of a better place for a multifamily development.
Monthly rents would range from $1,900 for a studio to $4,400 for a two-bedroom unit, according to the developer's petition. Prechtel said the building targets residents earning between $68,000 and $160,000 per year. The unit mix includes 46 studios, 179 one-bedrooms, 64 two-bedrooms, and 8 two-bedroom-plus-den apartments.
The developer's petition estimates the project would generate about 26 students for Indian Prairie School District 204.
Beyond density, Willow Bridge is seeking several code deviations:
- Parking: 369 resident spaces and 53 guest spaces, versus the code-required 594 and 75. A parking study was submitted to support the lower count.
- Height: 51 feet, versus the 43-foot code limit.
- Setback: A pickleball court and screening fence in the corner side yard along Westings Avenue.
The building uses a "wrap-style" design with residential units built around a central parking garage, allowing residents to park on the same level as their apartment. Planned amenities include a health club, pool, sauna, cold plunge tub, pet spa, and EV charging stations.
Willow Bridge's adjacent Domain CityGate complex, completed in 2022, carries a vacancy rate below 5%. Joe Segobiano, Willow Bridge senior vice president, said that project's success motivated the new proposal and that CityGate II would complement rather than replace office space along I-88.
The endorsement comes as Naperville grapples with broader questions about the corridor's future. City Council voted in May to spend $150,000 on a new I-88 corridor land use study. City Manager Doug Krieger said the city's zoning along I-88 "is dated," while Mayor Scott Wehrli has expressed concern the corridor not become "residential only."
CityGate II now heads to Naperville City Council for a final vote. No council hearing date has been publicly scheduled.
