By Igor Studenkov | Bugle Staff
nweditor@buglenewspapers.com
@NilesILNews
The Morton Grove Village Board got a first look at the long-discussed, mixed-use project at 8700 Waukegan Road during its Feb. 21 meeting.
Although the board isn’t to vote on whether to approve the development until March 28, Morton Grove Community Economic Development Director Nancy Radzevich said she wanted to share the plan so residents had an opportunity to comment. Many residents who live nearby the proposed development have decried the project.
The new development, which is officially known as the Residence of Morton Grove, would replace an office building near the southwest corner of Waukegan and Dempster. It was developed by Equibase Capital Group through its subsidiary, Heartland Real Estate Partners. The project has been in the works since 2014 but experienced several delays, as plans changed and Heartland waited for the village to approve tax incentives.
The plan unveiled during last week’s meeting incorporated several changes that were designed to address concerns raised by the residents of Morton Grove Estate, a condominium complex directly south of the site.
The current plan calls for two buildings – a seven-story, 184-unit residential building and a 14,000-square-foot commercial building. The first two floors of the residential building would include a 237-space parking garage and a main lobby. The third floor would have 37 apartments, a fitness center and an outdoor area. Floors four through six would only have apartments, while the seventh floor would also have its own outdoor area – complete with grills and a fire table. Designs are still being developed for the outdoor areas.
The apartments will lease for between $1,400 and $2,500 per month.
The commercial building would largely be occupied by small retailers, while 51 outdoor parking spaces would be reserved for customers and employees. Plans also call for 39 outdoor parking spaces reserved for residents and 18 surplus parking spaces for guests.
Radzevich explained that, when the businesses are closed, guests would be able to use business-only parking.
One of the biggest sources of contention was the fate of the driveway that runs between the lot and Morton Grove Estates. Condominium residents currently use it to park and drive out of the complex, and many were worried that the extra traffic from the new development would clog up the driveway. Residents were also concerned that residents driving up from the underground parking garage were likely to hit other cars.
To address this problem, Heartland proposed creating three lanes. But this created another problem – the plans would affect the parking spaces along the driveway. Under the current arrangement, office tenants use parking spaces on the north side during the office hours, while residents use parking spaces on the south side and use the north parking spots during the off hours.
Residents were concerned that the lanes would cost them parking spaces.
In response, the developer agreed to reserve the south side parking spaces for residents to use and add more parking on the development lot. The developer also agreed to tweak the building designs so that the residents would turn north on the private roadway that will run between two buildings. Radzevich explained that the developers hoped it would reduce traffic along the driveway.
Paul Stenton, of Morton Grove, said he supported the project and was comfortable with the process.
The same couldn’t be said for most of the residents who addressed the village board. Morton Grove Estates resident Natasha Dubov, told the Bugle that she saw the development as nothing but a nuisance.
“We are very unhappy,” she said. “We don’t see any benefits to the people right next door. [We’re worried] about traffic safety, loss of privacy, lots of light [from the residential building] and the exit on Waukegan.”
Resident Mikhail Ger told the trustees that he felt the previous concerns weren’t properly addressed. He also said that he was concerned that the presence of rental properties would cause the property values to drop. He also echoed Dubov’s concerns about light and traffic.
“I don’t think this project should be approved in the current form,” Ger said. “I think the building needs to shrink or move. If the building is approved, we would have to be compensated.”
Mayor Dan DiMaria said he hopes that the issues can be worked out and the project would move forward.
“It’s never going to be perfect, but in the end, I think we’re going to have a good product and I think the neighbors in Morton Grove and the neighbors in Niles will be happy,” he said. After the meeting, Radzevich indicated that some of the details are still being worked out between Heartland and the attorneys representing residents at Morton Grove Estates.