Office buildings may occupy empty acres in Vernon Hills
The last physical evidence of two remnants of Vernon Hills' past may disappear pending development plans.
Hamilton Partners, an Itasca-based firm with dozens of projects in the Chicago area, is proposing a mix of offices and retail uses for 32 acres on the north side of Route 45.
Ideas for the property will be presented to the village's planning and zoning commission at 7:30 p.m. today at village hall, 290 Evergreen Drive.
Considered one of the largest available undeveloped tracts in the village, the site is comprised of three properties that had a lengthy history in the area.
The largest piece, 26 acres, was operated as Kelly's Day Camp from the mid-1970s until two years ago when it closed. The day camp was founded in 1939 in Wheeling.
The remainder of the land includes the Leikam property, which for years was the home of Leikam's Tap, an old roadhouse-style bar that was noted for its hamburgers. That local landmark has been closed for several years, but the tiny, deteriorating building remains standing along Route 45.
As a whole, the property has a fair market value of about $4 million, according to Lake County records.
Village officials knew it would only be a matter of time before the area was developed. Plans for the routes 45 and 21 corridors were adopted in 2001, and the area was addressed in a comprehensive land use plan in 2003.
Both plans provided for the Leikam property to be built with high-density residential housing. That was in recognition of a plan for senior housing that was being considered at the time but was later withdrawn.
Tonight's discussion will be a general review of Hamilton's plan, to be known as the Oaks of Vernon Hills. The company on Feb. 20 is scheduled to appear before the commission to ask that the area be rezoned from general business and residential uses to office research and development. It also will be seeking approval of a unified plan for the entire piece.
As proposed, the plan would be developed in phases to include three office buildings, totaling about 150,000 square feet of space, and two commercial buildings. The northern portion of the site would be developed with office or warehouse buildings, or both, in the future.
The developer also is proposing to preserve many trees in a special 1.2-acre area.
"There's a significant number of large trees -- oaks, maples, evergreens," said John Kalmar, assistant village manager. "What we've tried to do with them is to preserve those significant specimen trees that are in good health."
The main access to the property would be from a full intersection, with turn lanes, at Route 45 and Write Court. Also, a right in/out entrance is proposed across from Sanctuary Court.