Proposed Burlington Terrace
• Bywater Development proposes 60 villa-style apartments for seniors in Galesburg.
• Burlington Terrace would be located near Galesburg Graham Medical Group Center for Ambulatory Care and Imaging Center at North Seminary Street and Carl Sandburg Drive.
• The project follows an abandoned plan to convert Churchill Jr. High into senior housing.
• Local leaders express strong support for the development’s community impact.
• Bywater plans to submit an application to state by March 6 for federal tax credits.
A St. Louis-based firm that specializes in creating affordable housing developments is taking a second shot at bringing senior housing units to Galesburg.
Bywater Development Group is proposing to provide 60 high-quality, villa-style apartments for independent seniors aged 55 and above, addressing a growing need for affordable housing options in the community.
The proposed development, Burlington Terrace, would be located on property owned by Graham Health System near the intersection of North Seminary Street and Carl Sandburg Drive.
It’s the same development firm that in 2023 was looking to purchase the former Churchill Jr. High School and transform it into an independent senior living center. That plan was abandoned when Bywater determined it was financially infeasible.
Erik Lintvedt, vice president at Bywater Development Group, tells WGIL, “We are in the very early stages of proposing a senior affordable housing development in Galesburg, and while the project remains contingent upon receiving highly competitive state-allocated resources, we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to bring this vision to life.
“We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our discussions with city leaders and are inspired by their enthusiasm and support for this project. Additionally, we’re thrilled to collaborate with Graham Health System to ensure residents have convenient access to a comprehensive array of health services.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with the city, Graham, and the community as we move through this process.”
Developer seeks federal tax credits for project
The next step in the process, according to Lintvedt, is to file a full qualified application to the Illinois Housing Development Authority by March 6, with hopes of landing an allocation of federal tax credits.
“It will all depend on the success of our application effort,” Lintvedt said.
The project in Galesburg would be similar to a development Bywater completed in Highland, Illinois. In addition to the 48 villa-style units, Highland Villas includes a community building for onsite activities, programs, recreational events and a permanent property management office.
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Bywater recently hosted Galesburg Director of Community Development Steve Gugliotta and officials from Graham for a tour of several of its developments in the St. Louis-area.
“I was really impressed with what they do,” Gugliotta said. “It wasn’t something they just threw together. We met some of the residents and there were a lot of positive comments from the people living there.”
Gugliotta said the villas are a mixture of 1 and 2-bedroom units ranging from 688 square feet to 811 square feet. Lease rates would be based on Area Median Income as determined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Galesburg ‘seems to punch above its weight’
The proposed area for Burlington Terrace, currently zoned R1-C, would be on the west side of the Graham-owned property, with access off of Carl Sandburg Drive.
“Bywater really likes Galesburg, and they were disappointed they couldn’t make Churchill work,” Gugliotta said. “I kept in communication with them, and one day they reached out to us saying they wanted to take another shot in Galesburg.
“The enthusiasm they have for what they do is kind of the same you feel when you talk to the people from Graham. So we introduced the people from Bywater to Graham. They all seem to be on board and know how much it would mean to the community to get additional housing in Galesburg.”
Gugliotta said “proximity wise it’s a great location,” noting the proposed senior housing development is close to medial facilities, nearby retail, a city park and an indoor swimming facility at Hawthorne Pool.
Bywater would manage the entire process of planning, financing, implementing, leasing/selling and operating the development.
“We think Galesburg is a really neat place,” Lintvedt said. “For a town of its size and the types of amenities it has, it has really seems to punch above its weight. We think it checks a lot of boxes in terms of places we like to put developments.”
