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Vernon Hills trustees approve amended Hawthorne Mall plan including 288 residential units and retail plaza
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Summary
Trustees approved ordinances amending the Hawthorne Mall planned unit development and a related plat, advancing a mixed‑use Phase 2 that would add up to about 288 residences, 540 structured parking spaces, and roughly 37,000 square feet of retail while preserving most mall retail and adding pedestrian connections.
Vernon Hills trustees on Sept. 16 approved amendments to the Hawthorne Mall planned unit development that clear the way for a revised Phase 2 mixed‑use project including new residential buildings and expanded retail and plaza areas.
The board voted to adopt ordinance 2025‑113 and approve a related plat after a presentation from the developer team. Sam White, vice president of development for Centennial Real Estate, described the plan as “a substantially improved plan layout” compared with the 2022 approval and said the project retains about 125,000 square feet of existing mall retail while adding two four‑story residential buildings.
Courtney Brower of Focus Atlantic said the current proposal seeks roughly 288 residential units (the application requests flexibility up to 290), a 540‑space parking garage shared by residents and retail customers, and about 37,000 square feet of ground‑floor retail. Brower said 20% of the units would be set aside for affordable housing under the state program the developer expects to use, with eligibility up to 60% of area median income.
Trustees pressed staff and developers on several practical issues. Questions focused on how parking would be allocated between residents and retail patrons; whether the proposed “affordable” units would meet local or state definitions for affordable housing; accessibility to upper plaza levels and an elevator near the proposed entrances; and electric‑vehicle readiness for the parking garage. Justin Ploy, executive vice president at Focus, acknowledged the different tests for “affordable” across programs, saying the developer’s 60% AMI proposal aligns with the state tax‑abatement program even though it differs from the village’s own planning thresholds.
Director Jennings told the board the draft PUD includes conditions asking the developer to continue working with the village on pedestrian access, to consider planting live rather than faux landscaping where appropriate, and to identify employee parking more remote from high‑demand customer fields. The ordinance also includes language to allow staff some design flexibility for outward‑facing retail storefronts so the landlord can work more quickly with prospective tenants.
The board also discussed state requirements and public‑safety input related to providing conduit and capacity for electric‑vehicle charging. Staff noted the village may need to revisit mandated ratios if the state modifies its rules before the building is occupied.
After the presentation and technical clarifications, trustees voted by roll call to approve the ordinance and related resolution. The approvals authorize the developer to move into the next stages of engineering, permitting and subdivision, subject to the conditions spelled out in the PUD and to subsequent technical review and public hearings.
