Issue date: 10/5/09 Section: News

Unique Homes is located in Charleston. (Sam Sottosanto/The Daily Eastern News)

Students and faculty will have to wait longer to see major commercial development on the southeast corner of Seventh Street and Lincoln Avenue.

Steve Simmonds, business manager for Unique Homes, a local developer known for creating off-campus student housing, said the company decided to be methodical with plans for creating a hotel and restaurant on the corner because of the economy and Charleston's variance process.

He said the company also wants to be more deliberate with this project than with other projects because the development is slated to cost seven figures - the largest undertaking by Unique Homes.

"We are rather cautious at this point," he said.

The company initially hoped to break ground on the corner, which contains the University Baptist Church and three other buildings, by the end of the year.

Simmonds said construction would not happen this year. He said there is a 50-50 chance construction would start sometime next year.

"As time goes on, it's more of a question," Simmonds said.

He said the biggest issue is finding parking for the hotel, adding Unique Homes would most likely have to build a parking garage.

A parking garage would require a variance request, and Unique Homes wants to make sure the variance requirements would be met before proceeding with construction or signing a contract with a retailer, Simmonds said.

He said the company has been in negotiations with several restaurants, but declined to share the possible restaurants targeted for the corner development.
Simmonds said the company thinks the hotel and restaurant would benefit both the university and the rest of the community, adding Eastern's administration has endorsed the plan.

"You are going to have to bear with us," he said.

The sons of Reggie Phillips, who owns Unique Homes, have experienced a contentious process with their variance request for a 56-bedroom apartment on the northeast corner of Fourth Street and Polk Avenue.

The city and the developers disagreed on temporary parking for construction and the demolishment of dilapidated rental houses on the corner. The City Council sent the request back to the zoning board in August for further review. The council will decide the request during its
meeting Tuesday, after placing the variance on file for public inspection.

Mayor John Inyart said most developments in Charleston do not require variances. He said variance requests are typically the exception and not the rule.

Inyart, who has not seen a comprehensive development plan for the corner, said the biggest challenge to Unique Homes would be finding parking. He said variance requests do not deter development and exist to protect neighborhoods.

"If I were them, I would want to make sure that you had your ducks in a row before they went too far down the design stage," Inyart said.

As part of the development, Unique Homes agreed to build the University Baptist Church a new church located near Brookstone Estates, 300 Lincoln Highway Rd. Simmonds said the construction is 95 percent complete.

The other buildings on the corner are the former Coed Hair Styling building, the former Co-op Restaurant and a rental house. Coed Hair Styling recently moved to the strip mall on Lincoln Avenue across from the Old Main building.

Simmonds said the economy has slowed residential development in Charleston.

Because of it, Unique Homes has done more commercial development projects during the past couple of years.

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7942 or at sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.

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