A 32-unit apartment building is the highlight of the latest proposal for a long-vacant corner in southern Lake Forest, but city officials and some neighbors believe some changes are needed as part of the plan.
Looking to build an apartment building at the long-dormant southeastern corner of Everett and Waukegan roads, Iosue Investments joined others in formally introducing a plan at the Sept. 13 Plan Commission meeting.
The centerpiece of the proposal is a four-story building with 32 rental apartments, ranging from one to three bedrooms. Other components of the plan include 10 detached garage spaces, and a Starbucks coffee shop with a drive-through lane.
The development is proposed for a 1.5-acre parcel immediately south of the existing urgent care clinic at 1025 W. Everett Road, which is also owned by Iosue.
Under the plan, Iosue would sell the land to developer Greg Van Schaack if the project is ultimately approved.
Overall, developers envision a contiguous site for all of the site’s buildings at the corner, where business activity ceased in 2008, according to city documents.
“Our development objectives are to create a high-quality campus that is pedestrian-friendly, and an attractive gateway to and west from west Lake Forest. We aim to make a long-vacant property attractive and productive to our community,” Carmine Iosue, managing partner of Iosue Investments, said.
After purchasing the site in 2019, Iosue proposed a 28,000-square-foot medical office building that received city approval. However, construction never began, partially due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“It just didn’t deliver results,” noted Jack Frigo, an adviser for Iosue. “The general office market is in very bad shape. The medical office market is much better, but the growth still hasn’t been there.”
Yet Frigo told plan commissioners he expects this proposal will have better results.
“The multifamily market is healthy,” he said. “That is very financeable. This is a project that can start in 2024.”
Van Schaack told plan commissioners the North Shore is currently attracting boutique rentals, and believes the building would attract empty-nesters.
However, the initial plan drew some resistance from city representatives and some neighbors.
Their concerns included traffic flow for the entire site and neighboring streets, and whether the proposed 109 parking spaces would be adequate. Another issue is the height of the building, that would go as high as 54 feet.
“I don’t see what the point is,” neighbor Gretchen Seidel said of the height. “I think it is going to decrease the quality of life for the immediate residents. I think it is going to look outsized for that corridor.”
Plan Commissioner John Dixon said it would be a “gem” to have the site serve as a gateway, but pointed to some concerns.
“I think we are trying to do too much on this site,” he said. “I’m very respectful of the development that needs to take place to be able to recoup the costs. However, it truly does need to be balanced with the site in and of itself.”
After the meeting, Iosue said conversations are ongoing with the architects retained for the project that might lead to modifications.
“There are things we can do to make it slightly lower,” Iosue said. “They are going to come back I hope with some revisions that might make some people happy.”
The developers are now expected to make some tweaks to the original plan, and hope to have another meeting with the Plan Commission by the end of the year.
“The more issues we can resolve, the quicker we can move it forward,” Community Development Director Catherine Czerniak said. “If we can bring the Plan Commission a revised plan that we can all support, the process can move quickly.”
The project will also have to be approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation for traffic issues since IDOT oversees Waukegan Road.
Frigo said the plan has already been submitted to IDOT by their traffic engineer.
This is the latest project envisioned for the corner that at one point had been the home for a gas station and the Pasquesi Home and Garden Store.
Both of those businesses shuttered operations in 2008, leaving the empty Pasquesi building in place for years and leading to descriptions of it as an “eyesore.”
One redevelopment proposal was approved by the city in 2008, but never materialized due to the recession
In 2018, a proposal for a combined gas station, convenience store and car wash was unanimously rejected by the City Council upon strong opposition by many of the neighbors.
The parcel was then sold to Iosue Investments and the former Pasquesi building was demolished, but the space remains empty.
“The city would very much like to see this site developed,” Czerniak said. “It’s an important site, it’s a prominent site, but it’s also a challenging site.”
