A national homebuilder is under contract to scoop up roughly 32 acres of heavily wooded land along 75th Street in unincorporated DuPage County and turn it into a 94-unit duplex community called Naperville Ridge. The proposal features market-rate duplexes with first-floor primary bedrooms and large chunks of preserved open space on paper, and it is already drawing pushback from neighbors and county officials.
As reported by the Daily Herald, Pulte Home Co. is the contract purchaser and is set to pay $14 million for the site, above a MaRous & Co. appraisal that pegged the land value at $10.8 million. Project documents filed with the city describe Naperville Ridge as "a new high-end opportunity for empty nesters and pre-empty nesters to downsize," with first-floor primary bedrooms and maintenance-free living at the center of the pitch.
What the developer is asking for
According to the City of Naperville public hearing file, Pulte's petition asks for annexation of the site into Naperville, rezoning to R2 and a conditional use for a planned unit development.
The filing also lays out several requested deviations from city code, including reduced setbacks, adjusted parkway tree requirements and a narrower right-of-way. A large portion of the land would be reserved as common open space that would be owned and managed by a homeowners association.
How the water commission approved the sale
DuPage Water Commission meeting packets show the agency declared the 75th Street parcel surplus in 2025 and then ratified a Vacant Land Purchase and Sale Agreement with Pulte, followed by later amendments to that agreement.
The commission's materials also note that only a small portion of the site is currently used for water storage and that staff do not expect to need the rest of the land for future utility infrastructure. That assessment was cited by officials as a key factor in moving the sale forward.
Neighbors and the forest preserve push back
Nearby residents argue the tract is one of the county's last sizeable woodlands and say its wetlands and mature oaks should be preserved instead of cleared for housing. The Daily Herald reports that neighbors have urged the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to intervene.
According to that reporting, the forest preserve's president said the district has not been approached about the site and typically avoids commenting on specific properties so as not to drive up acquisition costs.
Wetlands shaped the design
Project documents and commission records indicate that "unexpected" wetland areas and special management zones on the property pushed Pulte to alter its approach. Instead of detached single-family homes, the company shifted to attached duplexes in an effort to reduce disturbance to those environmentally sensitive areas.
City filings show the preliminary plan sets aside roughly 15 acres, about half of the site, for stormwater management, wetlands and conservation outlots that would be maintained by the HOA. A small park is also proposed for dedication to the Naperville Park District.
What's next
The proposal has been scheduled for a public hearing before the Planning & Zoning Commission on Wednesday. Any recommendation from that body would be followed by City Council review of the annexation and rezoning requests.
Local county officials have already signaled they want a seat at the table for discussions about the sale and whether this piece of increasingly scarce public land could help address "missing middle" or affordable housing goals. Their interest suggests the Naperville Ridge plan may become a broader flashpoint in DuPage County's ongoing debate over housing, open space and the future of public land.
