Engineering firm to help Mundelein determine traffic impact of massive Ivanhoe Village development

A national engineering firm has been hired to help forecast how a massive residential and commercial development planned for Mundelein’s northwest side will affect traffic in the area.

Kimley-Horn and Associates will review an existing traffic study for the much-heralded Ivanhoe Village development as well as other related documents and plans. Additionally, its engineers will observe weekday morning and evening traffic conditions in the area and look for problems.

Ivanhoe Village is envisioned for 773 acres east of Route 60 and south of Peterson Road. It will consist of houses, townhouses, apartments, retail centers and light industrial buildings.

The land, which is northwest of the Mundelein Crossings shopping center, has been owned by the Wirtz family since the 1850s. It's home to Ivanhoe Nursery & Farms, a wholesale operation selling ornamental trees and shrubs.

The family’s Wirtz Realty company has proposed constructing Ivanhoe Village in phases over 25 years. Build-out could cost $2 billion, officials have said.

The village board on Monday unanimously approved the Kimley-Horn contract without public discussion. The North Carolina-based firm, which has a Chicago office, will be paid $40,500 for the job, documents indicate.

The village will be reimbursed with funds from an escrow account set up by the developer for such expenses.

Kimley-Horn will coordinate with the village, Lake County Department of Transportation, the Illinois Department of Transportation and other agencies as needed, documents indicate.

Village officials hope to have a report from Kimley-Horn in about a month.

Mundelein Trustee Daniel Juarez, who oversees community development issues for the board, said it’s exciting to see the Ivanhoe Village proposal move closer to reality.

“But obviously there’s a lot of challenges ahead,” he said. “It’s going to be a long process.”