The May 23 Northbrook village board meeting had an upbeat tone thanks to excitement by trustees about Northbrook Court redevelopment plans.
But the Tuesday agenda lacked a glaring item poised to be ideally approved by trustees that same evening.
Besides Northbrook Court, the other elephant in the room, and an unspoken one at that early at the boardroom dais, was the embarrassing pan and failed redevelopment plan of the former Green Acres Country Club site on Dundee Road, another major parcel up for development in Northbrook.
Erickson Senior Living, the former developer of Green Acres, abruptly abandoned its proposal with a May 10 public announcement.
The Board of Trustees and Plan Commission planned a May 9 joint public hearing to get the Erickson proposal fast tracked to the May 23 board agenda but were notified early that second week of May of a developer delay.
Erickson’s May 10 sudden statement read in part, “We understand this news will be unexpected to many,” adding, “the project’s long-term feasibility and potential market conditions,” were deciding factors with a, “regret that the economics and market dynamics will not allow us to proceed.”
Erickson was supposed to bring a senior living facility, recreational acreage, $15 million in affordable housing payments and a possible site for new construction to replace the current Northbrook fire department headquarters.
Fire Station 11 at 740 Dundee Road could have moved a short distance to the west on the same side of Dundee Road to new digs built on a developer-provided piece of land.
The donation of 73.62 acres of Green Acres was set to become Northbrook public open space with about 53 acres accommodating nine multistory Erickson connected senior living structures.
The Northbrook Park District was excited about public walking paths plus more leisure amenities.
Molly Hamer, Northbrook Park District executive director, told Pioneer Press, “Over the past several months, the Northbrook Park District has been in discussions with the Village of Northbrook and Erickson Senior Living about the potential to preserve and develop open space at the former Green Acres golf club site.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Village of Northbrook to provide the best possible recreational opportunities for our residents,” Hamer said.
In an emailed statement to Pioneer Press, Northbrook Village President Kathryn Ciesla said, “The Erickson Senior Living development proposed exciting community benefits including new senior living options, open green space, municipal space and more.
“While we do not know what the future will hold for the property, the village will continue to consider developments that add to the vibrancy and prosperity of our community,” Ciesla said.
Northbrook Village Manager Cara Pavlicek said to Pioneer Press, also through email, “The 127-acre property has great potential and we worked hard with Erickson Senior Living to bring forward a redevelopment project for public consideration.
“The decision of Erickson to withdraw their request to rezone the former country club property is disappointing,” Pavlicek indicated.
With the scrapped Erickson proposal off the May 23 board agenda, Northbrook Court uplifted the boardroom atmosphere with talk of promise by presenter Brookfield Properties, operators of Northbrook Court.
On April 25, Brookfield Properties revealed drawings of how Northbrook Court’s estimated 100 acres could evolve over the next decade.
Brookfield Properties, which has represented the mall since 1995, had asked for multiple extensions on its redevelopment pitch, using COVID-19 pandemic challenges among its reasons.
In 2019, the village board launched a redevelopment and economic incentive agreement with Brookfield Properties as a public-private partnership, approving the redevelopment of nearly 18 acres only on the property’s west side.
On May 23, the board overwhelmingly OK’d a predevelopment agreement to spur the whole site.
“We do love to shop in our malls,” said Northbrook Village Trustee Johannah K. Hebl. “But we love to do it locally.”
Joy U. Ebhomielen, village trustee, said, “I’m excited and it’s good to hear.”
The approved resolution calls for developer requested public financing and incentives including a sales tax rebate, business and a tax increment financing district (TIF).
According to a May 23 village memo, Brookfield Properties identified a financial gap and sought public assistance partly due to the deteriorating condition of the enclosed mall, which opened in 1976.
There is a TIF in place, passed unanimously by the board of trustees in January 2019, but this TIF covers the Northbrook Court 1515 Lake Cook Road address on that west end portion of the mall, along the south side of Lake Cook Road at Red Oak Lane.
TIF districts, designed to spur economic development, last up to 23 years.
TIF districts are numerous in Chicago and commonly criticized. For the development of The Glen in Glenview, that TIF district formally concluded on Dec. 31, 2021.
Northbrook Court’s conceptual master plan outlines phases with construction of retail starting in 2024 for an initial phase opening in 2025.
The village is working with Northbrook School District 28 and Glenbrook High School District 225 on future mixed use residential student enrollment impact and school tax benefits.
Public open houses will be held starting this June for stakeholders, residents and concerned neighbors living near Northbrook Court.
“I want to make sure that the public knows that we’re all in this together,” Ciesla said.
To Brookfield Properties, Ciesla said, “The Village of Northbrook absolutely values the partnership and we are significantly grateful that Brookfield has brought its A team to the community.”
Ben Freeman, senior vice president of development at Brookfield Properties, said, “We obviously recognize that a lot more lies ahead.”
Freeman added, “We are excited to collaborate and to continue to build and deliver on the thriving future of Northbrook Court that we believe in.”
Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
