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Northbrook board directs staff to negotiate sale of 1657 Shermer and study downtown TIF
Summary
After a detailed presentation on market conditions and past proposals for the Granger property (1657 Shermer Road), the Northbrook Village Board voted to direct staff to negotiate a purchase-and-sale agreement with the Habitat Company and to study whether a downtown tax-increment financing district is appropriate.
The Northbrook Village Board voted to direct village staff to negotiate a purchase-and-sale agreement with the Habitat Company for Lot 2 of the property at 1657 Shermer Road and asked staff to study the potential use of tax-increment financing for downtown redevelopment.
Director McEwen, who presented the board with a history of the parcel and a market analysis, said the village purchased the Granger property in 2018 and explored several uses — moving a Metra station and stormwater infrastructure among them — before COVID-era needs and market downturns delayed redevelopment. "We were so excited about this project," McEwen said, and the presentation traced why prior proposals did not proceed, including multifamily starts falling sharply since 2022.
McEwen outlined a likely development framework for a future proposal: a planned-unit development consistent with the Village Green residential and commercial district, roughly 300–318 units, building heights of about 50–66 feet depending on location, an expected 15% affordable housing component to match the village ordinance, around 5,000 square feet of commercial space for restaurants or food service, and compliance with stormwater retention requirements.
Trustee Hebel moved the directive, reading the motion to authorize the village attorney and manager to negotiate terms protective of the village and to make clear the village is under no obligation to grant entitlements. "As adopted in the strategic plan, the village manager is further directed to undertake the process for consideration of a TIF," Hebel said while moving the motion. The board approved the direction by voice vote.
President Cieslaw emphasized that the action authorizes staff to negotiate a contract that would be a public document returnable to the board for review and approval, and stressed that any entitlements or variances would follow the normal public review and planning process. McEwen provided a tentative schedule: staff expects to return with a purchase-and-sale agreement and preliminary review for the board on the 26th (date noted in the presentation), a zoning entitlement process that may take 120–180 days for design and engineering, and potential building permit issuance in mid-2027 with roughly 24 months of construction and an additional lease-up period.
McEwen also noted a village contribution to a separate affordable supportive housing project: the village donated 1.49 acres for 48 units of permanent affordable supportive housing valued at $2,270,000, leveraging county, state and federal resources.
Board members who spoke in the discussion framed the vote as an early, nonbinding step to test market interest and keep the village's downtown revitalization goals moving. Several trustees said increasing downtown housing density could help support local businesses and bring more foot traffic. The motion directs negotiation only; any sale, entitlements or zoning approvals would return to the board and to public hearings for review.
Next steps: staff will bring a draft purchase-and-sale agreement and a preliminary review back to the board for discussion and nonbinding feedback, and will also study the appropriateness of a TIF district for the downtown, as directed by the board.
