Trustees Hear Proposal for 170,000-Sq.-Ft. River Drive Facility, Staff Seeks First-Time Cook County 6B Incentive

Community and Economic Development Director Zoe Haidor told the Morton Grove Board of Trustees on June 9 that applicant Curve Industrial (formerly Bridge Industrial) is seeking approvals for a 170,000-square-foot warehousing and light-manufacturing facility at 8125–8145 River Drive and 8120–8140 Lehigh Avenue, with BBJ Latavola identified as the site’s intended single tenant.

Haidor summarized the application history: public hearings before the plan commission in 2025, revisions after a 3–3 deadlocked vote in March, and a unanimous 6–0 May 19 plan commission recommendation subject to conditions limiting future truck traffic and requiring site and building design improvements. She said the May revisions reduced the building footprint by nearly 20 percent from the original proposal.

A village staff member later presented the separate financial component: a request that the board consider supporting a Cook County Class 6B property tax classification for the redeveloped parcel. The 6B is a 12-year assessment incentive that lowers taxable assessment during the incentive period; staff explained it is a local resolution-based designation that takes effect when construction is completed. The village has not previously approved a Class 6B, staff said, and emphasized the board would see the item again for formal action at a future meeting.

Staff and consultant JRG provided three tax-impact scenarios for the property over a 12-year window: (1) no redevelopment with vacancy assessment yield estimated at $8.7 million over 12 years; (2) reoccupation without 6B that could generate about $14.6 million over 12 years; and (3) redevelopment with the proposed 6B estimated to yield $9.7 million over the 12-year period. JRG’s review, staff said, concluded the project likely would not be feasible without the 6B incentive.

The presentation included project-level details staff expects would accompany redevelopment: roughly $30 million in private investment, environmental remediation, public infrastructure improvements (including Park Avenue reconstruction at developer expense and contributions to Lehigh Avenue lighting), and stormwater upgrades. Staff also cited a projected 250 new jobs tied to the facility and roughly $40,000 in annual village tax revenue from the tenant once occupied.

Residents who spoke at the meeting questioned the math and the distributional effects. Resident Mike Tracy, who identified his River Drive address, asked whether the taxing district referenced the industrial area or the entire town and pressed who would pick up reductions in school and other taxing-body revenue. Tracy asked: “Who’s going to pay the school district?” and said he was skeptical of a plan that would create a long-term tax break that he said some homeowners would still be paying for years.

Resident Rob Bum told trustees, “This project … will not happen without 6B,” and urged careful consideration because he said the proposal could shift an estimated $11–11.5 million in tax benefits over 12 years away from other local services. Bum also urged the village to consult the other taxing districts (schools, fire, police) that would be affected by a long-term assessment reduction.

Mayor Janine Whit and staff clarified process details: the board is being briefed tonight and no vote was taken; the item will return for formal consideration at the next meeting. Staff answered trustee questions about differences between a TIF district and a 6B: a TIF captures incremental growth across a defined district for a longer window and is structurally different from the targeted 6B classification offered to a single property.

What’s next: the board introduced ordinance 2614 for a first reading tonight (preliminary plat subdivision and special-use permit for the River Drive site) and staff said the 6B resolution would be on a future agenda for formal consideration. Residents and trustees asked for clearer detail on how savings would be redistributed among taxing districts and for formal outreach to other local taxing bodies before a final decision.

The plan commission and staff materials, JRG’s analysis, and public-comment concerns will form the record as the board considers whether to support a Cook County Class 6B designation that staff says is critical to project feasibility. The board took no formal action on the 6B tonight.