Why Geneva's Next New Homes Are Being Decided One Parcel at a Time
November 5, 2026
November 5, 2026
"We've been working with the city for years, coming up with a project they like." That's how Joe Stanton described the proposal for six brownstones on Fifth Street to the Kane County Chronicle this fall. The project fits on a vacant lot of 0.12 acre.
That one sentence explains most of what a buyer runs into when looking for a newer home close to downtown Geneva. There's no open field near Third Street waiting for a subdivision. New homes there come from leftover parcels: an empty lot between a dry cleaner and a salon, a riverfront corner that has held a vacant restaurant site for more than a decade, and a farmhouse homestead that a 25-year-old subdivision was built around. Each parcel goes through its own public review, and that review shapes what the homes become long before anyone pours a foundation.
The plain consequence for buyers is that close-in new construction in Geneva arrives in small batches, on a hearing schedule rather than a builder's schedule, and at prices well above the regional median.
The petition for Brownstones of Fifth Street was filed October 6 for 11 N. Fifth St. on behalf of Winfield Properties LLC. The plan calls for six three-story brick rowhomes, each 22 feet wide with a two-car garage at the rear and an average of about 2,400 square feet. The layout stacks the home vertically. A garage and home office bonus room sit on the first floor, the kitchen and living room on the second, and more living space on the third. Elevators are being considered as a standard feature.
Stanton told the Chronicle the brownstones would cost $850,000 to $900,000, and that buyers who add custom cabinets and an elevator could end up well over $1 million. For scale, the REALTOR Association of the Fox Valley reported a median sales price of $415,000 across Kane County in September 2026. The base brownstone price is more than double that.
The lot drives that math. Six homes on 0.12 acre is only possible because the design goes up rather than out, and building upward with brick and possibly elevators costs more per square foot than a production two-story on a suburban lot. Buyers comparing new construction across the Fox Valley will see that walkability to downtown Geneva carries its own price tier.
The brownstone petition asks the city for two things. The lot was two parcels with two different zoning classifications, and the petition asks to merge them under one. It also asks to drop a requirement for commercial space on the first floor so the building can be all residential. Ground-floor residential units would need a special use permit.
The years of back-and-forth also shaped the parking. Stanton said the city did not want to lose any parking on Fifth Street, so the design puts six two-car garages at the rear and keeps the street spaces.
According to the city's Brownstones of Fifth Street project page as reported by the Chronicle, the sequence from here runs in this order:
The Mill Race proposal follows the same four steps. That shared path is why close-in projects in Geneva tend to arrive with fewer units and more design detail than they started with.
The largest of the three proposals sits at 4 E. State St., the former Mill Race Inn site at the southwest corner of Routes 38 and 25. Shodeen Group bought the property in 2014 for $550,000. It later bought the neighboring Geneva Cycle Shop parcel at 12 E. State St. for $1 million, which completed its ownership of the 1.82-acre corner.
In 2020 the City Council rejected an earlier Shodeen plan for the site. That plan stood 56 feet tall and included 116 rental apartments, eight townhouses, 2,000 square feet of commercial space and 155 covered parking spaces, and council members said its design was too large.
The current petition, filed September 16, proposes Mill Race Residences: 84 homes in three five-story buildings. That's 40 fewer homes than the rejected 2020 plan, which combined 116 apartments and eight townhouses. The Kane County Chronicle reported in September that the developer had not yet decided whether the homes would be condominiums for sale or rental apartments. For a buyer, that decision matters most. It determines whether the corner adds ownership options downtown or adds rentals.
The site also holds the circa-1845 Alexander Brothers blacksmith shop, a limestone building. Shodeen's proposal would take down the stone walls and reuse the stone, with a new structure behind it and a replicated historic stone exterior.
"Restored to its 1845 appearance and repurposed, the shop and its site can continue as an asset for many decades to come."
That's Alan Leahigh, president of a new citizen group called Friends of the Alexander Brothers' Blacksmith Shop and the Geneva Riverfront, quoted in a release covered by the Kane County Chronicle on October 31. The group proposes a public park on the corner that would serve as a stop for Fox River Trail users and paddlers. The Fox River now carries the National Park Service designation Fabulous Fox National Water Trail, and the portage around the Geneva dam is a few hundred yards north of the shop. Landmarks Illinois has supported preserving the shop since 2018, when it first put the building on its list of the Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois. It listed the building again in 2023.
Tri-Cities Central reported on October 30 that city staff were still reviewing the proposal. The street outside is also changing. The City of Geneva says the East State Street project, now in an active water-main phase, is expected to be complete overall in late 2027, with punch-list work the following year.
The third proposal sits west of Randall Road, but it follows the same pattern. On September 15, The Lannert Group petitioned to annex 6 acres at 37W500 Keslinger Road into Geneva and rezone the land for 21 houses. The parcel is the homestead Arthur Fisher kept when he sold the surrounding farmland, which became Fisher Farms, built from 1999 to 2006.
The plan keeps the restored 1870 farmhouse as a rental home, with frontage on Keslinger. Sixteen cluster lots would surround a landscaped cul-de-sac, and half-acre lots would line Keslinger. One expected discussion point is a windbreak of 134 trees along the driveway. The planner said the aim is to keep the best trees and replace others. The planner said it was premature to set prices.
Twenty-one homes is a full subdivision's worth of design work for a small number of houses. Even at the edge of town, Geneva's new supply comes from land that earlier development skipped.
| Brownstones of Fifth Street | Mill Race Residences | Fisher homestead | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | 11 N. Fifth St. | 4 E. State St. | 37W500 Keslinger Road |
| Land | 0.12 acre | 1.82 acres | 6 acres |
| Homes proposed | 6 rowhomes | 84 in three five-story buildings | 21 houses |
| Pricing discussed | $850,000 to $900,000, over $1 million with options | Not set; condo or rental undecided | Planner called pricing premature |
| What the petition asks for | One zoning classification, all-residential ground floor | Planned unit development | Annexation and rezoning |
| Petition filed | Oct. 6, 2026 | Sept. 16, 2026 | Sept. 15, 2026 |
Taken together, the three would add 111 homes. In September 2026, Kane County had 875 active listings and 1.6 months of inventory, according to the REALTOR Association of the Fox Valley. Homes sold that month averaged 34 days on market across 562 closed sales. With supply that tight, a buyer holding out for something new near downtown Geneva is choosing between these specific, small, publicly reviewed projects and the existing homes around them.
Where can I follow the Fifth Street brownstones? The City of Geneva keeps a project page for the Brownstones of Fifth Street. After staff review, the proposal goes to the Historic Preservation Commission, then to a Planning & Zoning Commission public hearing, then to the City Council.
Will the Mill Race homes be for sale or for rent? The September report said the developer had not decided between condominiums and rental apartments.
Does the Keslinger Road proposal change Fisher Farms itself? No. The 21 homes would sit on the 6-acre homestead parcel that Fisher Farms surrounds on its west and north sides.
If you own a home near downtown Geneva, these hearings will shape what sits next to your listing over the next few years. Christine Currey and the Currey Koertgen Team can show you how your home compares with new construction priced near $900,000 and up. Start with the question every Geneva seller should answer first: How Much Is Your Home Worth?
Whether you're buying, selling, or investing, we’re here to help you navigate the market with confidence. With expert negotiation, strategic marketing, and a client-first approach, we’ll get you the best results.