‘A unicorn event’: Allstate property could be annexed back into South Barrington ahead of redevelopment

Posted April 13, 2026 4:04 pm

Russell Lissau

In an unusual real-estate move, Allstate Corp. has requested South Barrington officials annex the site of its former headquarters — just a little more than a year after the company had the land legally disconnected from the suburb.

South Barrington’s attorney, James Vasselli, said he’s never before heard of a property owner having land excised from a municipality only to turn around and later request annexation.

“(It’s) a unicorn event,” Vasselli said.

The annexation is proposed ahead of a potential redevelopment of the roughly 67-acre site, which is on the southeast corner of Higgins and Bartlett roads. A Rosemont company called Opus wants to purchase the site and construct a light-industrial complex.

The proposal is similar to the one Texas-based Hillwood Development Co. put forth in 2022. Allstate petitioned for disconnection the following year, and it was granted by a Cook County judge in February 2025.

But Hillwood is out of the picture now, and Opus has a contract to purchase the land, Vasselli said.

“One door closes, another door opens,” he said.

The Allstate property is just north of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway and across the Higgins/Bartlett intersection from the sprawling Arboretum of South Barrington shopping center. The South Barrington Office Center is to its east.

The large, triangular property in the center of this photograph is at the southeast corner of Higgins and Bartlett roads, near South Barrington. It once was home to Allstate Corp.’s headquarters but has been vacant for years. A company wants to redevelop the land. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

Buildings on the property were razed after Allstate consolidated in Northbrook in 2012. Despite the lack of use since then, the insurance giant still owns the land.

Opus hopes to change that. It’s proposed three buildings, two fewer than were called for by Hillwood’s now-defunct plan.

Opus and village representatives met in January to discuss the company’s desire to develop the site, Mayor Paula McCombie said. At that time, officials tried to convince company representatives that annexing into South Barrington would be a good move.

Allstate formally petitioned for annexation April 7, Vasselli said. The plan was publicly revealed during last week’s village board meeting; McCombie also mentioned it during her end-of-the-week email to residents.

“Once developments de-annex, they seldom come back, but I believe there is renewed interest in South Barrington because of what we have been able to accomplish in recent months,” McCombie wrote. “There is a desire to be a part of the exciting growth and development of our community.”

If the land is annexed and the buildings constructed, the development will generate property tax revenue for the village and ease some of the financial burden on residents, McCombie said. Annexation also gives South Barrington officials some say in how the development moves forward.

“We have a seat at the table,” McCombie said.

Mike Robinson, Opus’ vice president of real estate development, said it’s been great working with village officials.

“We’re excited by the opportunity to annex this project back into their municipality and to successfully deliver the development,” Robinson said in an email.

It took a judge to disconnect the land from South Barrington, but the village board will decide if the property should be annexed back into town. Negotiations are pending, McCombie said.

The next step will be a presentation of the development plan to the village’s plan commission, which advises the board on development matters. A timeline hasn’t yet been determined, but Vasselli expects Opus to move fast.