Hawthorn Mall redevelopment plan tweaked to allow for high-end steakhouse
Vernon Hills officials have informally agreed to changes in redevelopment plans for Hawthorn Mall and surrounding property to allow for a high-end steakhouse.
Dallas-based Centennial Real Estate, the mall owner and master developer of the expansive remake of the 1970s-era property, is seeking approvals to resubdivide 5 acres at the southwest corner of Ring Road and Milwaukee Avenue.
Centennial wants to enlarge the northernmost of three connected lots to accommodate an 11,500-square-foot steakhouse and 1,000-square-foot covered outdoor patio with two fireplaces.
In March, an unnamed "high-end, award-winning steakhouse" was the first announced user for an outlot along Milwaukee Avenue created as part of the Hawthorn 2.0 redevelopment. Restaurants initially were envisioned on all three lots.
Village officials previously approved the three-lot subdivision but it was not recorded. The latest iteration calls for the steakhouse lot to be slightly larger than the other two, according to Andrew Jennings, the village's community development director.
"The petitioner is requesting some flexibility on that subdivision," he told the village board Tuesday during an informal committee of the whole meeting.
Recommended changes say the plat of subdivision can be revised prior to it being recorded to consolidate or reconfigure the second and third lots, as long as each meet the minimum required size of 40,000 square feet. Centennial is said to be talking with two potential tenants for the two southern outlots.
Landscaping for the steakhouse was revised to address the potential impact of headlights shining onto Milwaukee Avenue. The building exterior also was modified to provide more balance on all four sides.
The single-story building has a covered entry and will be clad in large, cream-colored porcelain tile with large volumes of glass on the north and west sides. The plan calls for 291 indoor and 48 outdoor seats.
The advisory planning and zoning commission recommended approval of requested revisions to the site, landscape and architectural plans, with conditions, to facilitate construction of the restaurant.
The village board informally approved the requested changes, with official action pending.
Centennial also was given the go ahead to begin mass grading and other site preparations so it will be ready for construction in the spring. Those plans have been vetted and can begin pending some final details, according to David Brown, public works director/village engineer.
"Given the weather, staff is supportive of that," he said. "It is at their own risk and they will be posting performance guarantees to assure that."
The targeted opening is in advance of the 2023 holidays, village officials were told.
The outlot changes are minor compared with a major shift in the second phase of the $252 million project approved by village officials in September.
The revised plan calls an expanded grand plaza, 55,000 square feet of new retail/restaurant space, a new mall entry and 255 luxury apartments for the area once occupied by Carson's.