Geneva Plans Redevelopment of Historic Mill Race Property
The city of Geneva and the Shodeen Family Foundation have commissioned a team of planning, architecture, engineering and marketing economics experts led by Hitchcock Design Group to plan for the redevelopment of the former Mill Race Inn property.
Working together as co-sponsors, the city and Shodeen expect the two-phase, five-month planning process to produce a consensus redevelopment strategy and appropriately entitled Preliminary Development Plans that the Shodeen Family Foundation will use to develop the property.
The Shodeen Family Foundation owns the parcels along the east banks of the Fox River and is the contract purchaser of the property at the southwest corner of State Street and Route 25.
The Mill Race Redevelopment website has been launched and provides the scope of the project, supporting documents and answers to frequently asked questions.
Public participation is a critical component of the planning charrette. Residents and stakeholders can share their feedback via an online survey available on the website and attend the following community sessions at Riverside Receptions & Conference Center, 35 N. River Lane:
| Public Workshop | 7 to 9 p.m. | Monday, June 24 |
| Open House | 5 to 8:30 p.m. | Wednesday, June 26 |
| Wrap-Up Presentation | 7 to 8 p.m. | Thursday, June 27 |
To stay connected with the Mill Race redevelopment process, residents can subscribe to receive “development projects” updates by clicking the “Notify Me” button on the city’s website.
Questions can be directed to the city’s Community Development Director David DeGroot at 630-232-0814 or Economic Development Director Cathleen Tymoszenko at 630-232-7449 or ctymoszenko@geneva.il.us.
SOURCE: city of Geneva news release
Project Overview
The city of Geneva and the Shodeen Family Foundation, as co-sponsors, have commissioned a team of planning, architecture, engineering and market economics experts led by Hitchcock Design Group to plan for the redevelopment of the former Mill Race Inn property, owned by Geneva-based Shodeen Family Foundation.
The sponsors expect the two-phase planning process, which will take approximately five months to complete, to produce a consensus redevelopment strategy and appropriately entitled Preliminary Development Plans that Shodeen Family Foundation will use to develop the property.
Process
During the Opportunity Analysis phase, the consultant team and sponsors will identify the issues and most promising opportunities to meet the sponsor’s economic, land use, connectivity, and appearance objectives based on the existing marketplace, the natural, physical, cultural and financial resources, and the expectations of both the property owners and a wide variety of community and regulatory stakeholders.
During the Opportunity Analysis, stakeholders and community members will be encouraged to participate in an online survey plus a variety of interviews, workshops and an open house during a four-day, on-site charrette.
A charrette is a series of intensive, on-site planning events during which consultants and stakeholders share information and build consensus around a preferred redevelopment strategy.
During the Entitlement phase, the consultant team and sponsors will complete the appropriate technical analyses and planning, architecture, engineering and landscape submittals that will be required to obtain the desired zoning and development approvals.
The team will also recommend complementary policy and capital improvements that may be appropriate to support the preferred redevelopment strategy. During Entitlement, the sponsors anticipate several public presentations to the Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Commission, and the City Council, during which the public will be invited to comment.
Throughout the process, the consultant team and sponsors will keep the community and stakeholders informed through social and traditional media channels, and through a project website.
