TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dustin Anderson, Director of Community Development
SUBJECT:
title
Ordinance Approving an Amendment to the Preliminary and Final Planned Unit Development of Joliet Junior College Student Housing Subdivision (Ordinance #13226) (PUD-3-26)
end
BACKGROUND:
The petitioner and contract purchaser, Midwest REO V LLC, is requesting to amend the conditions of Ordinance #13226, which approved the Preliminary and Final Planned Unit Development of Joliet Junior College Student Housing Subdivision in June 2001. The requested amendment would remove conditions A and D related to tenant eligibility and occupancy to allow non-JJC-affiliated tenants within the existing residential development at 1524 Richard T. Rivera Way. The amendment would not change any physical aspects of the development, including the number of units and the exterior appearance.
The Planned Unit Development of Joliet Junior College Student Housing Subdivision was approved in June 2001. The 15-acre lot was developed with a 128-unit multi-family housing development. The development contains six residential buildings and one clubhouse building. The site is located to the southeast of the main campus for Joliet Junior College (JJC) and is accessed by a private road, Richard T. Rivera Way, that is owned and maintained by JJC.
As outlined in the 2001 staff report and PUD materials, the development was to be owned by the Joliet Junior College Foundation and to be occupied by people affiliated with JJC, such as students, faculty, and staff. Following its construction, the development operated under these tenancy conditions for many years. In 2017, foreclosure was filed for the mortgage held by the Foundation. In 2019, the property was sold to the current owner. At some point in its history, the development also began serving tenants not affiliated with JJC. According to the petitioner, it is currently occupied by a mix of JJC-affiliated tenants and non-JJC-affiliated tenants.
Approval of the PUD amendment would formally remove the tenant eligibility requirements included under Condition D of the ordinance. According to the petitioner, the development is not viable if tenancy is limited to individuals affiliated with JJC due to demonstrated limited demand from JJC students, staff, and faculty. However, the petitioner states that general market demand exists for these rental units.
Additionally, the requested amendment would remove Condition A, which regulates the number of occupants of each unit by bedroom count. Residential occupancy is already regulated based on bedroom and dwelling square footage by the International Property Maintenance Code through the Neighborhood Services Division. Removal of this condition would allow this development to function like any other multi-family residential development within the City. According to the petitioner, the total occupancy of the development is not expected to significantly change due to removal of this condition, and the development will continue to function with similar occupancy as it has now.
As an original ordinance condition, the development was required to participate in the Neighborhood Services Division’s Rental Inspection Program. The development is currently enrolled in the program and will continue to be required to participate in the program. The Neighborhood Services Division is aware that the development already serves non-JJC-affiliated tenants and does not have any concerns with this request to amend the PUD conditions.
The petitioner has reached out to the JJC administration to discuss this request. According to the petitioner, they are in the process of finalizing a separate private agreement with JJC related to maintenance of Richard T. Rivera Way.
Approval of the amendment to Ordinance #13226 to remove conditions A and D will allow the existing multi-family development to serve tenants that are not affiliated with Joliet Junior College. The amendment will not change any physical aspects of the development, including the number of units and the exterior appearance. Due to current market conditions, the development may not be financially viable if the current tenant eligibility requirements remain.
PLAN COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING:
The Plan Commission held a public hearing on this matter at their special meeting on April 8, 2026. Andrew Scott, attorney for the petitioner, represented the petition. No one spoke in favor of or in opposition to the petition. Meeting minutes are attached.
RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLAN COMMISSION:
Wendell Martin moved that the Plan Commission recommend approval of the amendment to the Preliminary and Final Planned Unit Development of Joliet Junior College Student Housing Subdivision (Ordinance #13226), located at 1524 Richard T. Rivera Way.
Michael F. Turk seconded the motion, which passed with seven (7) aye votes and zero (0) nay votes. Voting aye were: Cox, Crompton, Hammac, Kella, Martin, Radakovich, and Turk. Voting nay were: none. Absent were: Eulitz.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Staff concurs with the recommendation of the Plan Commission and recommends that the Mayor and City Council approve the following:
1. Ordinance Approving an Amendment to the Preliminary and Final Planned Unit Development of Joliet Junior College Student Housing Subdivision (Ordinance #13226)
end