Highland Park officials have won support from a House committee for their plan to force a landowner to sell his downtown property to make way for a potentially lucrative commercial project.
The legislation, which advanced to the full House, would let the city circumvent a prolonged procedure to seize the man’s property.
The “quick-take” move could enable contractors to break ground late this summer on the more than 240,000-square-foot Renaissance Place development, which would be home to a new Saks Fifth Avenue store.
The development would also include street-front retail space, an 870-seat movie theater, restaurants, office space, residential units and an underground parking garage.
It has not yet received land-use approval from the city. But officials from Highland Park have joined development companies to negotiate with landowners in the downtown district for more than a year in an effort to get the project off the ground.
Quick-take powers are available only for specific projects listed in state law. The bill would add the Highland Park project to that list.
So far, all but one property owner in the project area has agreed to sell their land, according to lawmakers familiar with the project.
Herbert Loeb–who owns a 15,000-square-foot parcel in the downtown district–has not sold his land, and Highland Park officials say they fear time is running out to begin the project.
The land is located in a tax-increment financing district, which grants tax incentives to promote new development. It is set to expire in 2004.
Loeb said the city doesn’t have the right to ask for quick-take authority because his property is not blighted. He leases the property to a laundromat, a nutrition store and also owns a parking lot on the block.
“The developer went to the city with his plan and they had my property included in the plan . . . without ever asking me,” Loeb said last week.
Loeb also questioned why developers wouldn’t include him on a deal that will allow Ameritech to remain on the block. Ameritech’s building would receive a new facade under the plan, helping to blend the building into the development project.
But Loeb said he is willing to sell the land to developers if they offer him a fair price. He would not disclose what compensation he is seeking, nor what offers have been made to him.
Still, Highland Park Mayor Ray Geraci said the city would not use quick-take authority unless officials see no other way to acquire Loeb’s land.
“We cannot have 30,000 residents, who pay enormous property taxes, held up by one property owner,” Geraci told the House Executive committee. “And I plead with you, (quick-take authority) gives the City of Highland Park and other cities this chance to renew their downtowns and restore the social and economic viability for all of our cities.”
