NT_051619

6 | May 16, 2019 | The Northbrook tower news
northbrooktower.com
Northbrook Plan Commission
Developers make final adjustments to Northbrook Court proposal
Commissioners
weigh changes
before scheduled
May 21 vote
Neil Milbert
Freelance Reporter
The Northbrook Plan
Commission concluded its
prolonged hearings on the
proposed redevelopment of
Northbrook Court during
its Tuesday, May 7 regular
meeting, and directed Village
staff to prepare a resolution
on the proposal that
has as its key component
luxury apartments targeting
active adults, young professionals
and empty nesters.
“Next meeting on May
21 we will vote either up
or down,” Commission
Chair Marcia Franklin said
after her resolution motion
passed unanimously, concluding
the public hearings
that began on March
5 and continued on April
4. “There will be no public
comment at that time.”
Following the Tuesday,
May 21 vote, the redevelopment
proposal and the
Plan Commission’s recommendation
will be submitted
to the Village Board of
Trustees for further deliberation
and a final decision
on the fate of a property
that currently produces 25
percent of the village’s tax
revenue.
The applicants are
Northbrook Anchor Acquisition,
LLC — which is a
joint venture of Brookfield
Properties and Ryan Companies
— and Westcoast
Estates, owner of the land
where the shopping center
that dates back to 1976 is
located.
Following each of the
prior hearings, in response
The Northbrook Plan Commission is scheduled to vote on a Northbrook Court
redevelopment proposal at its Tuesday, May 21 meeting. Included in the proposal is
the construction of a 315-unit luxury apartment building where Macy’s now stands.
Design rendering courtesy of Brookfield Properties.
to strong objections from
residents of the neighborhood,
the board asked the
applicants to make modifications.
Mainly their
complaints concerned the
proximity of the apartment
building to residences, the
height of the building and
the inclusion of a grocery
store in the redevelopment
package.
At the May 7 meeting,
members of the commission
heard presentations
from Michaela
Kohlstedt, Northbrook’s
deputy director of development
and planning service,
and the would-be developers
Brookfield Properties
Senior Vice-President
Adam Tritt and Ryan Company
Senior Vice-President
Dan Walsh, and listened
to ongoing concerns of
neighborhood residents.
Franklin, Steve Elisco,
Johannah Hebl, Mark De-
Bartolo and Norm Jacobs
seemed inclined to vote in
favor. Jennifer Lawrence,
Jeremy Melnick and Dan
Pepoon still had some
misgivings but weren’t
adamant.
Speaking before a standing-room-only
crowd of
more than 70 people that
came to the hearing, Tritt
and Ryan addressed the
third revision modifications
in the proposed project that
entails the construction of a
315-unit luxury apartment
building where Macy’s
now stands.
The developers also consider
the ground level and a
grand lawn connecting the
development with the existing
mall where Lord and
Taylor and Nieman Marcus
department stores are located
to be integral parts of the
makeover.
“The lawn is the pivotal
point,” Tritt said. “It’s
important to us that the
new and existing work
together.”
Among the other major
components in the redevelopment
are parking for
apartment residents and
guests, a restaurant, a fitness
center, dance studios,
amusement and recreation
facilities and a car
dealership.
Kohlstedt provided a detailed
rundown of the modifications
submitted by the
developers.
They call for the residential
building to be shifted
28 feet to the north to increase
the setback; the accompanying
grocery store
to be shifted to the north;
residential units to be shifted
to a new north wing; the
parking/drop off area to be
reconfigured to accommodate
these shifts; and grading
to be modified to cover
the parking podium to the
south with landscaping to
be added to this area.
Walsh and Ryan elaborated
on the updates, adjustments
and refinements.
“We’re moving mass
from the upper floors,”
Ryan said. “The top floors
are set back further. The
height of the southernmost
façade is now 52 feet. The
berm area will fully cover
parking area and we add
landscaping to soften (the
impact).”
Tritt talked about the
Northbrook Court redevelopment
vision, grocery
market studies, retail development
use studies, alternative
master plan considerations
and the proposed
site plan alterations.
A market analysis conducted
by the shopping
center consultant, Melaniphy
& Associates, LLC,
showed that only 2 percent
of grocery sales are e-commerce,
a stark contrast with
the sale of merchandise
via the Internet outlets and
Amazon.
According to Tritt, grocery
sales in the Northbrook
area total $140 million
but 17.4 percent of
these sales are outside the
area and predicted that a
Northbrook Court grocery
store would not only
significantly reduce this
percentage but also that 20
percent of the new grocery
volume would come from
outside the area.
He said in the last nine
years his firm has added 15
grocery store locations in
11 states and 11 additional
stores, including the one in
Northbrook Court, are in
the development stage in
six states.
Tritt cited the success of
the firm’s mall redevelopment
ventures in Maryland,
Massachusetts and
the Oakbrook Center in the
western suburbs.
14 locals continue to
express concern
Following the presentations,
15 members of the
audience addressed the
Plan Commission. Despite
the modifications,
all but one expressed their
dissatisfaction.
“Moving the building 28
feet is still not acceptable to
residents,” said Ken Smith,
president of the Glenbrook
Countryside Property
Owners Association. “We
had a neighborhood meeting
and the main thrust of
comments were about the
building. Everyone was
against it. Where it is right
now is not viable for us.
The top floor is too close
to backyards, too close and
too high.
“We’re not against this
project at all. We’re for it.
It’s just not acceptable right
now.”
Mark Lenz, an attorney
representing landowners
south of the complex, said
the apartment building will
impact privacy and may
impact property values.
Janice Gould, president
of the Williamsburg Square
Homeowners Association,
asked: “Who will help us
get in and out when our
roads are blocked (because
of traffic created by the
apartment residents)?”
“It would be nice to
redo Northbrook Court
and redevelop Lord and
Taylor instead of doing it
piecemeal,” suggested Jim
Beckett, who has put on
hold his plans of selling his
home. “We are concerned
with the loss of property
value because the development
is too close and too
high. We can do better.”
“There is no compelling
evidence that the grocery
store cannot go to the
south side of the building,”
argued Leonard Ginzbeg.
Ken Slepicka, a 20-year
Northbrook resident who
spent four years as a Park
Board Commissioner,
was the lone proponent to
address the Commission.
“Northbrook Court needs
a redesign,” he said. “Oakbrook
Center is a thriving
complex. We need that kind
of complex here. If we lose
Northbrook Court, taxes
will go up 25 percent.”
“Do what is best for the
Please see court, 8