Brit Properties asks Northbrook for tax breaks to redevelop Maurice Sporting Goods

A developer is seeking tax breaks to turn a former Maurice Sporting Goods warehouse in Northbrook into individual business incubator spaces.

Village trustees, speaking Tuesday at an online village board meeting, generally supported the proposal by Brit Properties, LLC, for the building at 1825 Shermer Road.

"There's a majority who feel it should move forward," Village President Sandy Frum said. "So the next step is that it goes to the Industrial and Commercial Development Commission, the school districts, the library and the park districts for their comments."

Just six weeks ago, trustees reviewed a proposal by Jinny Beauty Supply, which had a purchase contract for the property and also would have requested a tax break, but the company withdrew the purchase offer because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to village staff.

Brit Properties is a different entity and intends to convert the existing building into an "incubator space" leasing to multiple businesses, rather than one business.

The village staff considers Brit Properties' proposal to be a good approach to fostering economic development and entrepreneurship in Northbrook, Thomas Poupard, head of the Development and Planning Services Department for Northbrook, said in a memo to Village Manager Richard Nahrstadt.

"You can see in the floor plans there are very flexible spaces and it's very different from anything we've seen in Northbrook," Poupard said at Tuesday's meeting. "The key is for relatively low-cost start up businesses to move in and have space to work."

"This is a great fit for this spot," Trustee Kathyrn Ciesla said. "I think this is the way business is going and it's a unique use. I think we're going to see more of these spaces. "This could be used for a lot of people who run businesses out of their homes or their garages. I think that's a lot more common these days."

Maurice Sporting Goods used the property on and off over the past several years but has been selling off its real estate, including the former warehouse and distribution space on Shermer Road, a second warehouse at 1919 Stanley St. and the corporate headquarters at 1910 Techny Road.

Brit Properties plans to apply to Cook County seeking a property tax classification with "special circumstances" (necessary when a building has been completely vacant for less than 24 months). The 1825 Shermer Road property has not been continuously vacant for the entire two-year time period. It was used off and on for storage by Maurice as the company went through different business arrangements.

The Cook County Class 6b program reduces the overall property tax bill for industrial and warehouse buildings over the course of 12 years.

Under the program, properties are assessed at 10% of market value for the first 10 years, compared to the usual 25 percent for commercial property; 15 percent in the 11th year and 20 percent in the 12th year.