Deerfield board gives preliminary OK to convert vacant office into 112 loft apartments and Primrose childcare, but trustees press for pedestrian safety

The Village of Deerfield board of trustees voted unanimously Aug. 4 to accept the Plan Commission recommendation to amend the comprehensive plan, rezone 155 Fingston Road from I-1 (office/research) to R-5 (residential) and approve a preliminary planned unit development to convert the existing three‑story office building into 112 loft‑style rental units and to allow a 13,600‑square‑foot Primrose Schools day care and nursery school on an adjacent lot.

The board’s acceptance was preliminary: trustees directed that the matter return to the Plan Commission for final development plan review and attached conditions including limits on new nonresidential leases, attorney‑approved cross‑access and covenants, review of any future condominium conversion documents by the village attorney, a construction traffic plan and requirements to address EV‑charging capacity and pedestrian safety improvements in the public right of way. The board’s roll call vote approving the Plan Commission recommendation was unanimous.

Why it matters: The property is a 7.43‑acre site anchored by a roughly 120,000‑square‑foot, three‑story office building built in 1987 and now about 90% vacant. The developer and Primrose argued the proposal would reuse an older building, reduce traffic versus a fully occupied office, add housing product not currently prevalent in Deerfield, and increase the village’s real estate tax base.

Key project details and commitments - Applicant/owner: 1 55 Group LLC; developer representatives included Paul Fishbein and David Baum. Attorney Andrew Scott spoke for the applicant. - Project program: conversion of the existing L‑shaped office to 112 loft‑style rental apartments (7 one‑bed, 104 two‑bed, 1 three‑bed); a separate lot for a 13,600‑square‑foot Primrose Schools facility with about 12,000–13,000 square feet of outdoor play area. - Affordable units: 11 units designated as affordable under village ordinance. - Parking: developers said the residential program would provide about 255 parking spaces (exceeding the code requirement of 222); Primrose will have 51 on‑site parking spaces for staff and pickup/drop‑off. - Day care operations: Primrose representatives said the facility would serve up to 195 children with approximately 30 staff, and typical hours would be about 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; parents are required to walk in and sign children in and out. - Schedule estimate: the development team said it hopes to secure…