Construx of Illinois Inc. wants to bring the style of the big city to DeKalb by way of the Savannah Green subdivision.

However, that has some people worried.

Community Development Director Paul Rasmussen said because Construx CEO Michael Suhadolnik has a new style of building, some tradesman and construction-savvy individuals in DeKalb are against the new development gaining approval.

“He doesn’t use a traditional foundation system,” Rasmussen said.

Suhadolnik’s style involves using a gravel base instead of the traditional footing system and a pre-designed mold to create the walls of a foundation. The walls are created uniformly off-site and placed in the ground on-site.

“It’s very well thought out,” Rasmussen said.

The traditional foundation-laying procedure should take as many as seven days to complete. Construx takes only a matter of hours on site, Rasmussen explained.

In addition to the foundation construction issue, which Rasmussen’s staff is researching, the city is concerned that all the houses will look alike.

Reminiscent of the Chicago housing scene, this neo-traditional style of building is receiving mixed reviews.

“It’s controversial because it’s innovative,” Rasmussen said.

Still, he remains positive about the subdivision.

“I’ve met Mike [Suhadolnik], and I’ve done this a long time, and he is the first one I’ve met who is a tinkerer and an experimenter. He always wants to better a project,” he said.

Rasmussen explained that in a recent survey taken of DeKalb residents, more than 80 percent of people in DeKalb view the city as a college town. He theorized that the key two aspects of a college town are innovation and a sense of environmentalism. These coincide perfectly with the proposed project, he added.

Rasmussen said the Springfield-based developer has had a lot of success with his new building style in other areas of the state, specifically in other college towns like Urbana and Normal.

Rasmussen said the city should support the development.

If Savannah Green is approved by city council, it will be built in the area between Twombly Road and Varsity Boulevard. The neo-traditional subdivision is said to have nearly 900 units.

“Instead of the traditional curved, winding suburban streets with houses with attached garages where cars dominate the scene,” Rasmussen said, “this one will have alleys, detached garages, narrow lots and porches on the front of the houses.”

The plan would include a retail center and a pool at the center of the development that residents could walk to easily.

The huge appeal for the proposed development is its low cost, energy efficiency and environmentalism.

“He uses recycled materials and non-allergen carpets. The American Lung Association recognizes him as well,” Rasmussen added.

Suhadolnik explained that construction sites’ main source of pollution comes from the concrete foundation laying. He said that his method of pre-creating the foundation walls dramatically reduces this pollution.

The houses would cost anywhere from $116,000 to $160,000. This is well below the typical DeKalb house that costs around $150,000 to $180,000.

The final decision on the property will be decided in the coming months.

The DeKalb Plan Commission will discuss the future of Savannah Green during its next meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the DeKalb Municipal Building, 200 S. Fourth St. The city council then will decide on the matter with the Plan Commission’s findings in mind.