Residents expressed mixed opinions at a recent meeting of the Ft. Sheridan Joint Plan Commission over a proposal to build a 120-foot-high condominium building on the grounds of the former fort.
The eight-story building would consist of 108 units. A total of 551 dwelling units are planned for the fort property, with most of the other dwellings being single-family homes.
Some residents of Highland Park, which is adjacent to the fort property, argued that the height of the proposed building would be out of character with plans for the rest of Ft. Sheridan.
If approved by the commission and the city councils of Highwood and Highland Park, the building would be constructed on 2.7 acres of vacant land in the southeast corner of the fort’s historic district.
Developers say the building is an integral part of their marketing plan. The 2,000- to 6,000-square-foot luxury condominiums are as large as most houses but would be easier to maintain, developers said.
“Of the 450 people who have expressed interest in buying homes at the fort so far, about 150 have said they’re interested in the mid-rise building because there is nothing else like it on the North Shore,” said David Hoffman, a partner in The Town of Ft. Sheridan, developer of the fort property.
The U.S. Department of Defense, which owns the property, is expected to turn over a large portion to the two cites next month.
