ALTON – Community members gathered at the Wedge Innovation Center in Alton on Tuesday night to ask representatives from development firm McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS) about the proposed Lovejoy apartments project.
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MBS representatives were on hand to answer questions from the public, surrounded by poster boards and flyers with more detailed information about what the Lovejoy project is – and is not.
The Lovejoy is described on one flyer as “a proposed $27 million development with high-quality rental housing” meant to rival similar developments in “peer communities” like Edwardsville and O’Fallon. Proposed at 324 Ridge St., the 71-unit apartments would feature a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom options with a fitness room, Mississippi River views, rooftop amenities, and much more.
Joseph Weatherly, senior vice president of development for MBS, described the meeting as an “open house” with a focus on transparency. While MBS has routinely hosted meetings like these for past development projects, he said the need for Tuesday’s meeting at the Wedge became especially clear after proposing the Lovejoy project at past Alton Plan Commission and City Council meetings.
“On this particular project, there has been some misinformation put out there,” Weatherly said. “We want to make sure that everybody has enough time and space to ask any question they want, and then get the answer right from the horse’s mouth – that’s very important to us.”
The most common misconception Weatherly has heard about the project is that it consists of “Section 8” or subsidized public housing. Not only are the units not subsidized, their starting rental rates are based on other rents in the St. Louis Metropolitan area; one-bedroom units at the Lovejoy would start from $790 to $875, while two-bedroom units would start from $955 to $1,060.
The Lovejoy will feature two types of units – “market rate” units and “workforce” units. While the market rate units may see yearly rent increases depending on market conditions, the rents for the workforce units will remain the same. The inclusion of these “workforce” units makes the project eligible for tax credits from the State of Illinois; those tax credits make rent stability for the workforce units possible.
But for MBS, the goal of including these units goes far beyond the tax credit. Weatherly said that for some, the Lovejoy could be one step on the “path to home ownership,” allowing potential long-term Alton residents to sample the city before buying a home.
“If you’re renting at the Lovejoy and you decide that you love Alton and you want Alton to be your home long-term, you get to preview that before you buy a home,” Weatherly said. “Now you’ve got kind of a path to home ownership where you might not be able to attract these people otherwise, because there aren’t as many attractive rental options currently.”
From an economic development standpoint, Weatherly said the Lovejoy would go much further in boosting the city’s economy than the vacant lot that sits at the site currently. 71 units worth of residents would amount to significantly more customers at local restaurants and other businesses, generating sales tax and more to fuel the local economy. This should not only hopefully spur further economic development in downtown Alton, but also ease the concern of residents worried about the Lovejoy negatively affecting their property values.
Some of those resident concerns were acknowledged by Architect Angie Eslinger, who was also present at the meeting.
At past City Council meetings, residents have raised concerns that the new apartment complex may block their home’s view of the Mississippi River. Eslinger said the final design was the product of balancing 71 apartments, adequate parking, room for greenspace, and more on the site’s hilly terrain. The Lovejoy’s building materials, including the prominent use of brick, aim to compliment the look of Alton’s historic downtown architecture.
“We did it purposefully to try and minimize the impact of the building being in front of them,” she said of residents concerned with the Lovejoy’s height. “We are still a three-story building that’s taking up half that property in front of their houses – we’re not trying to disguise that. But we tried to make the building have a residential appeal to address that single family homes are looking out their window.”
Eslinger noted the building’s height will have one notable advantage: the roof would make the ideal space to place “unsightly” mechanical equipment, which won’t be seen by nearby residents or visitors coming into town. She added that having the Lovejoy built on the currently vacant lot would also mark the “activation” of an “under-utilized” space.
Noting the sizeable turnout from local residents, Weatherly said that despite hearing from a few critics of the project, he remains optimistic the meeting will at least give them something to consider.
“I’m hoping that this changes their mind, or at least gives them something to think about,” Weatherly said. “Maybe they like what they see, maybe this makes more sense in an environment like this … We just think it’s the right thing to do – and clearly, here, it was necessary.”
The Lovejoy project faces approval from the Alton City Council at their next meeting on May 28, 2025. If approved, construction could begin as early as March 2026. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for the latest updates as they become available.
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