North Cook News

Trustees in the Village of Wheeling have reviewed the proposed plan to turn a currently vacant building on E. Dundee Road into a planned mixed-use development. 

A concept review for the property from Forrest Capital, LLC was presented to trustees at their April 3 meeting.

"Of all the concepts I’ve seen for this project, this one really looks great," Trustee Ray Lang said. "I appreciate that you’re bringing more active users into restaurant row as well. That helps, that will help us in the long run."

Forrest Capital wants to transform the property into a place where joint retail establishments will be located on the first floor with 53 units for residential living on the upper floors. Trustees were asked to listen to the proposal, provide input on the plans, and then tell the developer whether or not they were in favor of the plan, which would be nonbonding and give the developer an idea about how the project would fit in the city. The board's decision would also help guide developers through the zoning, planning review, and approval process before approaching trustees with a finalized plan. 

Forrest Capital representatives attended the meeting and answered questions about the plan. There has been a lot of emphasis recently when it comes to mixed use developments that provide additional housing while bringing in businesses to contribute to the local economy. This type of living area is appealing to older generations looking for a more centralized area to live in, like this proposed project. The residential area would include storage, shared work space, a gym, and community area. 

Architect Anthony Abruzzo walked trustees through the proposed site plan, which showed the updated exterior of the building with added green space and balconies. There would also be some additional parking areas and walking paths connecting the building with other areas of the village. A design plan for the interior was also presented, with sketched-out areas for the retail space that will include a medical office. A community space roof deck was also a part of the plan. Other representatives talked about how the development would revitalize the area. Trustees seemed in favor of the proposed plan so far, and asked a few questions about their plans for the building and meeting requirements, but gave a favorable review of the concept thus far.