What St. Charles development should you know about in 2026?
The St. Charles development story for 2026 is mostly on the east side, where the former Pheasant Run Resort site is being split into shops and restaurants and the old Charlestowne Mall is waiting for a buyer. Closer to the river, a 105-home plan on a vacant industrial site is nearing a final vote, and the city has decided it wants to keep the pool of water above its Fox River dam. If you’re starting to look, these are the projects that can change your view, your drive, and your options over the next few years.
By Kealan O’Neil | October 22, 2026
Most first looks at St. Charles, IL focus on the downtown riverwalk, the restaurants on First Street, and the Fox River Trail. Those parts are settled.
What isn’t settled shows up in City Council packets. This guide walks through the east side, the downtown riverfront, and the edges of town, then shows you how to check a project yourself.
St. Charles development on the east side: Route 64 is changing
East Main Street, which is also Illinois Route 64, is where most of the change is happening. Three large sites sit within a couple of miles of each other.
The Shops at Pheasant Run
The former resort’s 33.7-acre parcel sits at the southeast corner of East Main Street and Kautz Road, addressed as 4051 E. Main Street. According to the city’s Shops at Pheasant Run project page, the plan divides the site into 14 commercial lots for retail, restaurant, and service uses.
The approved plans develop six of those lots right away: a bank, an auto service shop, a coffee drive-thru, and three multi-tenant buildings. One more lot is set aside for a future car dealership, and the rest would need City Council approval of their own plans later.
This piece of St. Charles development took a long path. The concept plan went to the Plan Commission in December 2025, the Plan Commission held its public hearing on July 21, 2026, and the City Council passed the ordinance on October 5, 2026. As of the city’s October 21 update, the final plat and engineering are under staff review.
One open item: local reporting says the approval is tied to a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement that still needs a final council vote in November. Until that vote happens, treat the timeline as tentative.
Charlestowne Mall
A short drive west, the Charlestowne Mall site is the biggest question mark in this St. Charles development roundup. The city’s Charlestowne Mall redevelopment page and its five-minute summary say the mall opened in 1991 with about 800,000 square feet on 72.94 acres, and the interior closed in 2017.
Only Von Maur and Classic Cinemas still operate there. The city does not own any of the property, so it can’t pick a developer on its own; the owner has listed the site for sale.
The city’s summary also shows why this will take time. It estimates more than $30 million to get the land pad-ready, including about $8.6 million for demolition and more than $10 million for utilities.
On approvals, the city estimates 8 to 12 months from the first concept review to final entitlement once a developer steps forward. That’s before any construction starts.
Fox Haven Square and Charlestowne Lakes
Two smaller St. Charles development projects are already under construction nearby. Fox Haven Square is a 7-acre development south of Jewel, near the northeast corner of East Main Street and Kirk Road, with four restaurant and retail buildings, shared parking, and an outdoor plaza.
Charlestowne Lakes, on 28 acres northeast of the mall and south of Foxfield Drive, includes 167 homes: 105 townhomes and 62 duplex units. The project also builds King Edward Avenue to connect Foxfield Drive and Smith Road, which will change how some east side traffic moves.
The east side sewer line
Here’s a St. Charles development detail most buyers never hear about. The city’s mall summary notes a planned expansion of the east side sanitary sewer trunk main, estimated at more than $40 million and not expected to be finished before 2030.
Big sewer work can mean years of lane closures on main roads. It’s one more reason to ask the city about timing if you’re buying near the Route 64 corridor.
St. Charles development downtown and on the riverfront
Downtown St. Charles development is smaller in size, but it shapes the part of town most visitors know.
The Fox River dam decision
In 2023, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers restarted a study of 10 Fox River dams from Algonquin to Montgomery, and St. Charles formed a joint task force to look at the impacts of losing its dam. On June 1, 2026, the City Council passed Resolution 2026-80.
That resolution commits the city to working with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to keep the impoundment, the deeper pool of water above the dam, while staying open to options that modify the dam structure. It also ended the task force’s work.
What it means for you: the city has said it wants the river upstream of downtown to stay usable for boating and paddling. The state still has authority over the dam, so this is a stated goal, not a guarantee.
The riverfront site north of the Municipal Building
The former city building on the riverfront, just north of the Municipal Building, has been vacant since 2019, when its occupants moved to a new station. The city’s Downtown Riverfront Property page says the first public open house drew more than 100 people and the online survey drew 738 responses.
A second open house on April 8, 2026 focused on the open space concept that people favored in the first round. No final use has been chosen, and the city says more meetings will follow.
First Street, Building 8, and River 504
Building 8, at the northeast corner of Illinois Street and Route 31, is the last open lot in the First Street redevelopment. The city’s request for proposals said it wanted more residential units there to balance the mix of uses, and local reports say the council approved a small apartment building for the lot in September 2026.
A few blocks south, River 504 Rowhomes includes 8 rowhomes in four two-unit buildings at South 1st and Prairie Streets. Construction is underway on the first building.
St. Charles development on the edges of town
Away from Route 64 and downtown, three residential projects are in different stages. Each one shows a different step in how St. Charles development gets approved.
Seventh Street Commons. Pulte has proposed 105 homes, 93 detached homes and 12 townhomes, on a 27-acre former industrial site that has been vacant since 2005. According to the city’s Seventh Street Commons project page, the Plan Commission recommended approval 7-0 on September 22, 2026, and the Committee of the Whole recommended approval 7-1 on October 19, with a condition to add 30 trees. A full council vote is next.
Prairie Centre. On the west side, the former St. Charles Mall site at Route 38 and Randall Road is approved for 670 residential units plus commercial space. The city reports more than 500 units are finished, and two outlot projects along Route 38 are under review.
Claibourne Farm. M/I Homes brought a concept plan for 76 detached homes on 38 acres west of Rosebud Drive. Concept review ended in April 2026, and the land would need to be annexed into the city. A concept review is feedback, not an approval.
For a closer look at homes being built now, our St. Charles new construction guide covers current communities.
How to choose the top real estate brokerage in St. Charles, IL when the town is changing
When people search for the top real estate brokerage in St. Charles, IL, they’re often trying to find someone who will check what’s planned around a home, not only what’s inside it. Whoever you work with, here’s the St. Charles development checklist worth running on any address:
- Look up the zoning. The city’s zoning information page links to the interactive zoning map and the My Property Info search.
- Scan the city’s projects list. Each active project has a page with plans, meeting dates, and current status.
- Know which stage a project is in. A concept review is informal feedback. A Plan Commission public hearing, a committee recommendation, and a City Council vote are the steps that make it real.
- Watch for public hearing notices. For zoning or special use requests, the city notifies owners within 250 feet of the site before the Plan Commission hearing.
- Check the long-range plan. The current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in September 2013, and city staff have said a full update is planned for the 2027 to 2028 fiscal year.
- Ask about road and utility work. Large projects like the east side sewer line can affect your commute for years.
We used the same approach in our look at Batavia development, and it works for any Fox Valley town.
Questions about St. Charles development
What is being built at the old Pheasant Run Resort?
What is happening with Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles?
Is St. Charles removing its Fox River dam?
How do I find out what’s planned near a St. Charles home?
Start your St. Charles search with what’s planned, not only what’s listed
Most St. Charles development moves slowly. Pheasant Run, Charlestowne Mall, and the sewer work will take years, which gives you time to read the documents and choose a home with your eyes open.
If you’d like help sorting out what’s planned near a specific St. Charles address, or you’re just starting to compare towns, we’re happy to talk it through with no pressure. Our St. Charles home search page is a good place to start. Call or text Kealan at 630-425-8815.
About Kealan O’Neil
Kealan O’Neil is the Designated Managing Broker and founder of O’Neil Property Group, an independent real estate brokerage based in Yorkville, Illinois. He and his team help buyers and sellers in Yorkville, Oswego, Montgomery, and the surrounding Kendall and Kane County communities, and he owns and manages a local rental portfolio, so he approaches every decision as both a broker and an investor. Call or text Kealan at 630-425-8815.
This post is general information about real estate in the Fox Valley, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Real estate laws, tax rules, and municipal ordinances change, and how they apply depends on your specific situation. Talk with a licensed attorney, CPA, or lender before making decisions about a purchase, sale, or tax matter. O’Neil Property Group is a licensed Illinois real estate brokerage.