The Flossmoor Village Board approved the revised concept plan for the Flossmoor Town Centre at the May 19 board meeting. 

The original concept, approved by the board in December 2024, was for a 13-unit town home development and cafe to be developed on vacant land at 2611-2633 Flossmoor Road just east of downtown Flossmoor. The property has been vacant land for about two decades. 

After meeting with the Flossmoor Plan Commission in March, developers revised the original concept. The new plan calls for 12 townhomes aligned from west to east. The earlier plan included one set of units oriented north and south with an end wall facing Flossmoor Road. That was one design feature members of the Plan Commission expressed concern about.

The revised concept was brought back to the Plan Commission at the April meeting. There still were some reservations voiced about the plan, but with three of the four commission members in agreement the plan moved to the village board for approval.

Village Manager Bridget Wachtel presented the concept to the board, and developers Byron Gregory and Gene Steinmarch took questions from the trustees. 

“We’re very happy with the plan,” Steinmarch said. “Our investors would like us to move on.” 

He and Gregory are meeting with a restaurant group to seek a tenant for the planned cafe space. 

Trustee Kevin Dorsey said the concept of townhomes and a restaurant would be attractive for the village but had questions about spacing based on safety issues and aesthetics. 

Gregory said he and Steinmarch have been working together with the village and the Plan Commission and will continue to do so, they just need the green light to develop the architectural design with possibilities for more changes in the future.  

Much of the board discussion focused on the space between the cafe, a separate structure on the east end of the property, and townhome units immediately north of it. Gregory said the space between the cafe and the townhomes would be about 12 feet in the current plan.

Trustee George Lofton asked about reducing the number of townhomes to make more space for the cafe, but both Steinmarch and Gregory said they are opposed to making those changes, believing the concept is appropriately marketable as it is and the number of units can’t be reduced further. 

Trustee Jim Mitros raised similar questions on spacing as Dorsey and had concerns about the restaurant. To date there is no confirmation of a restaurant operator for the site. 

Trustee Rosalind Mustafa asked how this will impact the green space that will be taken by pavement, parking lots and driveways of the townhomes. 

The developers said much of that is to be determined once they start working with engineers. They will not be required to have a retention pond but will have underground water storage and a controlled outlet for water flow so drainage doesn’t overwhelm the storm sewer system. 

Trustee Carolyn Rodgers asked the developers to explain the parking ratio of the plan. Steinmarch said each unit would have a two-car garage plus room for two cars in the driveway. He noted that the four larger units would have two-car garages but no driveway space.

He said the revised plan included a parking lot for customers of the cafe, a concession to a suggestion from the Plan Commission. The 14-space lot includes one handicap spot. 

The developers also said they are considering adding balconies or upper-floor decks to the townhomes. 

Trustee Gary Daggett asked whether they could reorient the cafe space, extending it west a few feet and sacrifice a parking spot in order to expand the space between it and the townhome units to the north.  

With the board’s approval, the concept will move forward to its final planning stage.