Oswego’s Mill Street Station Affordable Rental Housing Accepting Applications

As soon as January 2014, the controversial Mill Street Station townhomes may have tenants.

The affordable housing development, located at Bucktail Drive and Mill Road, will have 63-units that are available to residents with incomes up to 60 percent of the area media, according to Kathy Hagen, the Marketing and Leasing Coordinator for The Renaissance Companies.

Hagen stated in a release that the cap means teachers, firefighters, paramedics and police officers in the area will be able to live in the development. Veterans will also receive priority preference according to availability, said Hagen.

Mill Street Station is being developed by James Bergman of Iceberg Development Group, who purchased the property from Steve Carr Builders after they opted not to finish the project. The property was originally approved in 2005.

However, the new plans for Mill Street Station were not met with approval by Oswego residents or the Oswego Village Board.  

The new development under Bergman would offer affordable rental housing properties, rather than purchased homes.

“The Village cannot dictate if the property is owner occupied or renter occupied,” explained Village Administrator Steve Jones.

He explained that the previous approval of the project was done based on the townhome designs and specifications themselves and not the ownership.

In July 2012, James Bergman approached the Village board to ask for a letter of support for tax credits. All six Village trustees rejected the notion, which would make it harder for Bergman to obtain affordable housing tax credits, but he could proceed even without Village support.

Fox Chase subdivision residents, who would live next to Mill Street Station, turned out in droves in the July 2012 meeting to protest the letter of support.

Jones said that the largest concern with the development to residents and the Village was that the property was approved for intended owner occupany.

“There was this feeling that this is changing the neighborhood model,” he said. “It is not fair to the expectations of the residents who live in that area.”

Jones added there was “unease” that the affordable rent housing was an “intrustion to the neighborhood.”

However, Bergman chose to move forward with the property and it is now accepting applications. According to the release provided by Hagen, the development may have tenants as soon as January 2014.

Those who are interested in applying will need to contact the leasing office at 630-554-1133 or visit www.millstreetstation.com.