Lentz talks up plans for downtown, northwest Mundelein in final State of the Village speech

Promising that Mundelein “is definitely moving forward,” Mayor Steve Lentz gave his final State of the Village report Monday night.

Lentz, who isn’t seeking reelection this spring after 12 years as mayor, talked about downtown redevelopment plans, the much-hyped Ivanhoe Village concept for the village’s northwest side and other projects in the roughly hourlong speech at village hall.

First on Lentz’s list of things to tout was the ongoing redevelopment of land in the downtown area known as “the Bank Triangle.” The site covers about 6 acres east of Seymour Avenue and north of Hawley Street.

A microbrewery offering on-site food and drink service called Fenton's Brewing Co. already is planned for one of the buildings there. Elsewhere in the triangle, the village has a contract to buy vacant land and create a roughly 150-spot parking lot for people visiting Fenton’s or other downtown attractions, Lentz said.

Lentz revealed timelines for two much-anticipated infrastructure projects: the reconstruction of the eastern portion of Hawley Street between Chicago Avenue and Route 176; and the construction of an overpass for Route 60/83 over the Wisconsin Central Limited railroad tracks that are northwest of Diamond Lake Road.

The Hawley Street work should start in 2029, and construction of the Route 60/83 overpass could start in late 2026 or early 2027, Lentz said.

Lentz also talked about Ivanhoe Village, a massive residential, commercial and industrial development coming to the village's northwest side.

Hundreds of houses, townhouses and multifamily units, as well as commercial buildings and more, have been proposed for about 700 acres near Route 60 and Route 83. The famed Wirtz family owns the land now and will steward the property through construction, a process that could take 25 years.

“It’s not going to be done at once,” Lentz said. “We’re going to pick away at it.”

Lentz went on to talk about plans to start construction this summer on apartment buildings on vacant land on Plaza Circle, the recently completed Station 250 apartments elsewhere on Plaza Circle and other residential developments.

The mayor also touched on the village’s financial health, including the impacts of inflation and declining tax revenue; the implementation of new computer software for building permits, pet and bicycle registrations and other services; and plans for local road resurfacing and reconstruction.

He fielded a couple questions from the audience before wrapping up the presentation. To watch a recording of Lentz’s speech, visit mundelein.org.

Lentz first was elected mayor on 2013 after one term as a village trustee. During his remarks Monday, Lentz said being mayor “has just been an amazing honor and a privilege.”

Trustees Robin Meier and Tim Wilson are running for mayor in the April 1 election.