6 | June 20, 2019 | The Northbrook tower news northbrooktower.com Northbrook Village Board Northbrook Court redevelopment approved by 5-2 vote Plans include apartments, several restaurants and retail spaces, and grocery store Chris Pullam Freelance Reporter Northbrook’s biggest shopping center is officially slated for a facelift. During its Tuesday, June 11 meeting, the Northbrook Village Board voted 5-2 to approve a slate of ordinances allowing the redevelopment of the Northbrook Court Shopping Center at 1315- 1825 Lake Cook Road. The mixed-use redevelopment, which will encompass the current Macy’s property on the west side of the property, will include up to 315 luxury apartments, a grocery store, and several restaurant and retail spaces. The project includes approximately 106,000 square feet of new retail development. It will also feature a reconfiguration of the road that loops around Northbrook Court, with the inclusion of a dedicated bike lane in a portion of the roadway area adjacent to the residential portion of the redevelopment. Village President Sandra Frum joined Trustees Kathryn Ciesla, Robert Israel, Muriel Collison and Johannah Hebl in supporting the ordinances, and Trustees Jason Han and Heather Ross opposed them. Han had voted against everything Northbrook Court-related over the past couple months, citing the project’s lack of affordable housing and the Village’s decision to placate such a major developer with tax incentives. Ross, who joined the board in May, made her decision primarily based on the affordable housing argument. During the previous meeting, at which she supported the first consideration of the same ordinances, she insinuated that the issue could affect the way she voted on the last reading. Few members of the board addressed their reasoning during the meeting, preferring to let their previous comments stand on their own, but supporters previously touted Northbrook Court’s role as a tax generator for the village. During the last meeting, for example, Ciesla argued that the mall “is one of our strongest economic engines” and provides approximately 30 percent of the village’s tax revenue — thereby supporting the various schools and publicly financed services in Northbrook. “I know this mall cannot continue as a 1970sera center,” she said at the time. “It needs to evolve or it will simply decline. We’ve known Macy’s is going out of business for a long time. … It’s unrealistic to assume that another largescale retail tenant will fill that space, so it’s mostly likely the building would come down or stay fallow for a long time.” To that end, the package of ordinances approved on June 11 also allow the developers to benefit from a $21.5 million Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District around the property that was established in April with this project in mind. Since the overall property value of Northbrook Court will increase following the upgrades, its property taxes will also increase. By creating a TIF District around the mall, trustees are effectively subsidizing construction costs by waving only the additional taxes over a 23-year period — or up to $21.5 million. The TIF agreement also requires the developer to make various school district payments, including a one-time supplemental impact fee of $95,000 to Glenbrook High School District 225 and $225,000 to Northbrook School District 28. Another section of the redevelopment agreement will establish the terms and conditions of the $5.5 million that would come from a sales tax rebate. The sales tax rebate would come from increased sales tax revenues generated from Northbrook Court following the redevelopment of the property. These funds would be used to improve the existing shopping center. Sales taxes collected above the pre-established base sales tax collection amount of $4,425,000 — the estimated 2017 sales tax receipts from the existing mall, plus $425,000 to account for future Village fire, EMS and police services in the center — would be split on a 50/50 basis with the developer and the Village until either the sales tax incentive amount is paid or 20 years passes, whichever occurs first. Although many residents addressed the Northbrook Village Board and Northbrook Plan Commission at previous meetings, only a handful spoke prior to the final vote. Maximino Caballero, who lives immediately to the southwest of the building, addressed the Village Board for the second time in as many meetings. Last meeting, before trustees approved the first reading of the same ordinances, he talked about how he purchased his house under the impression that the village would honor the ordinances established at the time — and not alter them to allow for a redeveloped Northbrook Court to loom over his property. “I have seen how the Plan Commission and this board are treating and ignoring us, not just as second-class citizens, but as the cockroaches that it seems that we are,” he said. “In other words, I have lost total faith in this board and I believe that you have already made a predetermined decision a long time ago.” Then, holding up two different sized carrots as props, he accused the developer of trying harder to placate the board than the people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. Julia Rosner, speaking on behalf of the Northbrook Working Families Coalition, echoed a recurring concern for multiple residents who opposed the Northbrook Village trustees approved a proposal during their Tuesday, June 11 meeting that calls for major changes at Northbrook. Plans include up to 315 luxury apartments, a grocery store, and several restaurants and retail spaces. Design Renderings courtesy of brookfield properties. ROUND IT UP A brief recap of Village Board action on Tuesday, June 11: • The Village Board authorized the $176,123 purchase of a 2019 John Deere 544L Front End Loader from West Side Tractor Sales, of Wauconda. • Trustees approved the $42,504 purchase of a Ford F-350 with a utility body from Currie Motors, of Frankfort, and Auto Truck Group, of Bartlett. specific redevelopment plan up for consideration: it’s lack of affordable housing. “I believe this should not go forward without having affordable housing included,” she said. “It is over 300 units. … It’s a perfect opportunity to have it.” Han, one of two trustees who ultimately voted against the project, didn’t rehash his arguments during the June 11 meeting; however, in the past, he continuously cited the absence of affordable housing as one of his primary motivators. His other concern was the amount of financial support, in the form of the TIF District, being provided to such a large developer. Ross, the other trustee who voted against the project, also wanted the redevelopment to include affordable housing. “I agree with a lot of my fellow trustees about the necessity of changing Northbrook Court, and I think the mixed-use development is the correct type of project, but my disappointment still stems from the lack of affordable housing,” she said. “I think when a developer is spending $250 million and Please see court, 8
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