Neighbors Concerned about The Belmont Ave, 80th Ave, & O'Connor Drive Project

MB Belmont, better known as Noah Properties, is proposing to build 454 total units of housing on the former site of Guerin Prep and Holy Cross High Schools. The breakdown is as follows:

Along Belmont Avenue:

• Two 20-Unit Apartment Buildings

• One 14-Unit Apartment Building

• Four 12-Unit Apartment Buildings

• Ten 6-Unit Apartment Buildings

Along O'Connor Drive:

• Three 40-Unit Apartment Buildings (Senior Living 55+)

In-Between:

• A Gated Community of 172 Townhomes with 2 Car Garages

Also included in the development:

• A Private Recreation Center

• A Private Park

• A Private Dog Park

• A Private Playground

Final zoning documents for the development are posted here. The documents for this project are labeled MB Belmont and are very large - the site plans and renderings are 36 pages and the final submission packet is 589 pages.

MB Belmont LLC, better known as Noah Properties, is the developer behind the 80th Ave & O'Connor Drive project. Noah Properties has a development track record that you should know about:

• Two construction workers died while working on Noah Properties projects. US Department of Labor OSHA Inspection: 1015985.015 and US Department of Labor OSHA Inspection: 1389156.015.

• In August 2018, Noah Properties’ City of Chicago building license was yanked for electrical violations. The link to news story is here.

• Noah Properties continues to use construction contractors even after the companies were placed on the Federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) ‘Severe Violator’ list. Og Plumbing and Polo Masonry are both currently working for Noah Properties at its Avondale project.

• For more on Noah Properties track record on development, visit www.eyesonnoah.com.

The Village Council need to hear from you! This project needs to be approved by the full Village Council, likely at the November 18th meeting.

Noah Properties will also be asking for Tax Increment Financing or TIF money from the Village to help fund the project. Village tax dollars should fund public benefits, not line developer's pockets. If Village officials plan to allow this development, they need to make sure we are getting something out of the deal! This could include:

• Local jobs for local residents, including Women, Veterans, People of Color, and Individuals with Disabilities.

• A construction timeline and other construction standards that protect the community and that must be followed.

• Safety standards that protect construction workers and the community.

• Climate friendly options such as LEED Certification for the buildings, native trees and plants, charging stations for electric vehicles, etc.

• Public access to the onsite playground, dog park, recreation center and other amenities.

Please email Village officials now to let them know what you think about the project, you can do that by clicking this link.

Plan on attending the Village Council meeting on November 11th and November 18th. Agendas for Village meetings are posted here, usually a few days before the meeting takes place.

If you would like to email us to let us know what issues you are most concerned about, email rivergroveproject@gmail.com or call (708) 695-4684. We will keep you in the loop and notify you of upcoming meetings.