Blog > LaFox After Pulte: Where Shodeen’s Campton Hills Plan Stands
LaFox After Pulte: Where Shodeen’s Campton Hills Plan Stands
St. Charles stopped reviewing Charles Farm in 2024. A different developer and a different village have since moved the land’s next chapter through major approvals.
Information reviewed: October 27, 2026. Approval timeline: 2024 through July 2026.
Didn’t the Pulte plan near LaFox stop?
If you remember residents pushing back on Pulte’s Charles Farm proposal, you may have thought the development story near LaFox was finished. One proposal stopped moving forward. The land’s story continued.
In September 2024, St. Charles declined further review of Pulte’s concept plan. Shodeen later pursued LaFox of Campton Hills through Campton Hills, with a plan for up to 900 homes, including detached houses and townhomes.
The distinction matters. This is a different development path with later municipal approvals, rather than Pulte’s earlier concept quietly becoming a construction project. The records reviewed here do not establish that Pulte completed a purchase of the land.
Where is the project, and what is planned?
The preliminary planned unit development ordinance identifies approximately 962 acres north of Keslinger Road and south of Illinois Route 38, between Harley Road and Brundige Road. It names Shodeen Construction Company, LLC as the contract purchaser and/or authorized agent for the owners.
The plan includes residential neighborhoods, parks and open space, with infrastructure to serve the development. The materials include townhomes, so describing all 900 potential homes as detached single-family houses would leave out part of the plan.
For neighbors, the questions reach beyond the number of rooftops: how the homes fit beside the historic district, how roads connect, how utilities are provided and which open areas receive lasting protection.
What happened between 2024 and 2026?
September 13, 2024: St. Charles announced that it would not continue reviewing Pulte’s Charles Farm concept after considering feedback from officials and the public. That ended this review path, rather than establishing a permanent ban on development of the land.
2025: Shodeen advanced a smaller alternative through Campton Hills. The village’s ordinance register lists the annexation agreement and annexation measures. September reporting describes the annexation votes as split.
December 2, 2025: Ordinance 25-45 approved the special use, preliminary PUD plan and preliminary plat, subject to conditions. This is a preliminary approval with further requirements, not a blanket construction permit.
May 12, 2026: The later redevelopment-agreement ordinance records adoption of the TIF plan, project-area designation and tax-increment financing measures.
July 21, 2026: The village adopted Ordinance O-26-40, approving the redevelopment agreement with Shodeen. Its signed ordinance and clerk’s certificate establish the approval date.
Those dates describe the project’s progression. They are not a new October 27 approval announcement, and they do not establish a home-sales launch or a groundbreaking date.
What does the redevelopment agreement actually do?
The approved agreement sets out how the developer and village would handle infrastructure, eligible project costs, financing and reimbursement. It describes sanitary sewer, public water, stormwater and roadway improvements alongside the residential development.
Article IV caps the combined principal of contemplated revenue bonds and developer notes at $54 million. That is a financing limit, not evidence that $54 million has already been paid to Shodeen. The agreement also contemplates interest and sets procedures for documenting eligible costs and approving reimbursement.
The village’s payment obligations are limited to specified pledged revenues under the agreement. It does not create a general village debt obligation. That distinction does not make the financing cost-free or settle every question about its effect on other taxing districts.
For residents following the money, the useful next records are actual financing approvals, eligible-cost certifications, issued obligations and payments. Agreement approval and dollars spent are separate milestones.
What still has to happen before construction and occupancy?
The preliminary PUD ordinance says construction or establishment of a use requires final PUD and plat approvals, together with required permits. Its conditions address engineering review, county road requirements, stormwater, landscaping, tree preservation, paths and infrastructure phasing.
The redevelopment agreement likewise says execution does not replace necessary building permits. Its construction-start provision depends on the applicable phase plans, permits, financing and other contingencies. It should not be turned into a promise that construction starts a fixed number of days after July’s vote.
The village’s register also lists 2026 subdivision and resubdivision ordinances. Those entries show additional land-planning activity, but the individual approvals and issued permits for the first construction phase need to be checked before describing it as underway.
This review has not confirmed a current groundbreaking, completed utility system, sales opening, pricing or move-in date. A buyer should ask for the actual phase, permits, utility arrangements and delivery schedule for the home being considered.
Is all of the proposed open space already protected?
Open space is a substantial part of the plan, but the acreage and transaction stage need care. The civic association’s 2025 materials described a 440-acre set-aside proposal. That number should not be treated as proof that 440 acres have already transferred or are open to visitors.
A later April 2026 village resolution and forest-preserve agreement describes a planned purchase of about 323 acres and donation of about 77 acres, with some land intended for other conservation entities. The agreement expressly depends on the district receiving title.
Those figures come from different records and stages. This update has not verified the completed deeds and final acreages for each conservation transfer, or public opening dates. Before calling a parcel permanently protected or inviting people onto it, confirm its ownership and access status.
Why did some residents support the alternative while others objected?
The La Fox Civic Association’s published updates supported Shodeen’s smaller alternative, emphasizing reduced density, buffers, open land and local representation through Campton Hills. That is the association board’s stated position, rather than a survey of every resident.
The September 2025 annexation report describes split votes and public opposition at the hearing, alongside supporters. Preserving local character and managing the effect on roads, schools and community services remain reasonable subjects for specific questions.
A smaller proposal can be preferable to one resident and still be too much development for another. The useful conversation is about the approved requirements and how they are carried out, rather than treating all neighbors as being on one side.
What should neighbors and buyers watch next?
Watch for recorded land transfers, final phase plans, utility agreements, road-work requirements, issued permits and a verified construction schedule. For the open land, watch the actual conservation transfers and access announcements.
If you are considering a future home, compare the property’s phase and obligations with what is being advertised. Ask about assessments, association responsibilities, utilities and the timing of improvements that matter to you.
The important change is clear: Pulte’s St. Charles concept stopped, while Shodeen’s Campton Hills project advanced through major approvals. The next chapter is how those approvals become actual infrastructure, homes and conserved land.
Questions you may be asking
Did St. Charles approve Pulte’s Charles Farm concept?
No. On September 13, 2024, St. Charles announced it would not continue reviewing that concept plan.
Is Shodeen’s LaFox plan still only a concept?
No. Campton Hills approved a preliminary PUD in December 2025 and a redevelopment-agreement ordinance on July 21, 2026. Final phase approvals, permits and completed work are separate milestones.
Does the plan include only detached houses?
No. The plan includes detached houses and townhomes, with up to 900 residential units described in the project records.
Has the village already paid Shodeen $54 million?
That has not been established. The approved agreement sets a $54 million combined principal limit for contemplated revenue bonds and developer notes, with eligibility procedures and other financing terms.
Is the entire open-space proposal already publicly accessible?
Completed transfers and opening dates for all proposed conservation parcels have not been verified here. An agreement to acquire land is different from recorded ownership and public access.
When will homes go on sale or construction begin?
A current sales launch, pricing, groundbreaking and move-in schedule were not verified in this review. Confirm the actual phase plans, permits and builder information before relying on a date.
What would you want to know about LaFox?
What would you want explained next about LaFox: the roads, open space or how the new neighborhoods would fit? If you’re comparing places to live in the Fox Valley, let’s talk through the details that matter for your move.
Call Brian at 630-465-7413Sources: St. Charles September 2024 release; Campton Hills ordinance register; Ordinance 25-45 preliminary PUD; Ordinance O-26-40 and approved RDA form; Resolution R-26-14 conservation agreement; La Fox Civic Association updates; September 2025 annexation reporting. Approval, land closing, construction and public access are separate milestones.