The Village of Glen Ellyn is considering a mixed-use development to encompass the site of the former Giesche Shoe store and the Village-owned parking lot at 418–424 N. Main Street. The building would include 8,844 square feet of first floor commercial space and 107 luxury apartment units on the second through fifth floors as well as a two-story parking garage that would incorporate public parking on the first floor only and residential parking on the second floor. The parking intended for public use would replace the existing parking on the site to include a total of 137 public parking spaces. The development requires a 20-foot height variance in order to build to 65 feet high, approximately 40 percent taller than current Village ordinance allows—so tall, bulky, and inappropriately designed that it would dwarf all existing buildings on the block and would destroy the appeal of the charming southern gateway to the Village's historic downtown commercial area. We oppose this development, which would permanently and negatively alter the character of Glen Ellyn and set an unwanted precedent regarding height and other variances, and so we urge the Village Board to reject the proposal for Apex400 brought forth by GSP Development and 400 Main, LLC.
