Fox Valley developer Vantreese ‘lived a full life’

Fox Valley developer Joseph Vantreese may not have lived a long life, but family and friends say it was a passionate one, full of energy and enthusiasm.

Vantreese, of Batavia, died Monday after a nearly 15-month battle with leukemia, said his brother, Mike Vantreese. He was 43.

“He was very charismatic, very passionate,” Mike Vantreese said. “If he believed in something, he put 150 percent toward it.”

In Aurora, Vantreese believed in River Street Plaza, a high-end condo development on the west bank of the Fox River built in the mid-2000s.

“He was kind of a pioneer,” Aurora Mayor Tom Weisner said. “He changed the landscape of the downtown very quickly.”

Vantreese bought the land for the condos before it was zoned for residential development — trusting the city to see the value of his idea, said Charlie Zine, who planned to partner with Vantreese in a restaurant venture stalled by Vantreese’s health.

“Joe has made a tremendous impact on downtown and I have a lot of respect for him,” Zine said. “He shared my vision of the river being the most valuable real estate in the city of Aurora.”

Weisner said he and Vantreese had some “tough negotiations” and “disagreements” about the development, but they eventually became friends.

“Certainly his vision was one that we thought was very positive,” Weisner said. “It’s saddening to hear that he never quite made it to recovery.”

Outside of his development work as CEO of the Vanstrand Group, Vantreese’s hobbies included competitive downhill skiing and auto racing, Zine said.

“He brought the competitive drive with him to business,” Zine said.

He even owned a helicopter, said Alderman Rick Lawrence, and once “buzzed” over city hall, Weisner said.

“He had a great attitude toward everything. He didn’t have any time for nonsense,” Lawrence said. “He lived a full life in a very short time.”

Vantreese is survived by his wife, Debra; his mother; two brothers and a sister.

Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 10, at Moss Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. His funeral is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with internment to follow at Glen Oak Cemetery in West Chicago.