Grayslake approves plans for ‘country club for cars’
Grayslake trustees Tuesday night greenlit a developer’s plan for “automobile condominiums”on the village’s south end.
Trustees voted 5-0 in favor of bringing 17 acres southwest of Peterson and Midlothian roads within village boundaries to accommodate the planned Premier Auto Estates of Grayslake. The site is across from the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Jack Monco, an Inverness commercial real estate broker, said after the vote that he hopes to obtain necessary building permits to start construction in August. He said weather will determine how soon Premier opens.
“I would hope that we could deliver units come spring,” Monco said.
The clientele will be car collectors in need of nice space who have outgrown their home garages. Monco said he’s already accepted reservations from potential buyers for what’s been described as “automobile condominiums” or a “country club for cars.”
Under the plan, Premier will be a gated facility with security cameras. Garages, tentatively starting at $80,000, will be suitable for visitors and feature heat, fans, painted walls and an 18-foot metal deck ceiling.
Owners will select garage upgrade options such as a kitchen, sound system, bathroom and air conditioning. The clubhouse is supposed to be spacious enough for vehicles to be driven inside and available to members for car club meetings, private parties and other uses.
Monco said it’s thought Premier is on target to be the first such operation in the Chicago area. “It’s always an advantage,” he said.
Premier will be patterned after AutoMotorPlex in the Minneapolis suburb of Chanhassen, which launched in 2008. AutoMotorPlex has 160 condo garages and a 4,600-square-foot clubhouse available for motor sports events, social gatherings and business meetings.
In May, AutoMotorPlex founder Bruno Silikowski contended Premier’s plans and descriptions for Grayslake were too similar to his facility and said he was “not impressed at all.”
Silikowski said he was considering a national rollout of AutoMotorPlex and that Barrington was a possible location.
Monco said he’s talked to Silikowski about the idea of working on Premier with his New London Associates commercial real estate brokerage.