Rendering of the Liberty Point Residences proposed for east of Milwaukee Avenue and north of the Tri-State Tollway in Gurnee
Courtesy of Northpointe Development
A proposed 40-unit “workforce housing” development, east of Route 21 near the Tri-State Tollway in Gurnee, will proceed to the village board for consideration.
The village’s planning and zoning board this week unanimously recommended rezoning 2.2 acres from office to multifamily and a variation to increase the maximum allowable density for Liberty Point Residences.
Northpointe Development Corporation of Oshkosh and Dream Lane Real Estate Group of Madison, Wisconsin, are partnering on the project intended to serve households earning 30% to 80% of Lake County’s median income.
The panel, during an informal review of the proposal earlier this year, learned the property has been vacant for years and challenging to develop because of multiple street frontages and significant setbacks, buffers and easements.
Because those factors limit the buildable area, a higher density is needed for a project to be economically viable, the panel was told. A consensus at the time was that office space likely wouldn’t be proposed for the site and the proposal could move forward.
The property is immediately north of Woodlake Boulevard and surrounded by Woodlake and Gurnee Glen apartments with vacant single-family parcels to the west.
The area is across Route 21 from what is known as the triangle development property south of Washington Street and Six Flags Great America.
Northpointe and partners in December completed Greenhaven Apartments and Townhomes in Palatine and are wrapping projects in Yorkville and McHenry, said Jake Victor, vice president of development.
He said Northpointe and DreamLane identified the Gurnee site from a combination of factors including experience in what locations can make a successful workforce housing multifamily community.
Knowledge of the Illinois Housing Development Authority’s low-income housing tax credit program and what the agency likes to see in terms of location and design as well as the village’s receptiveness were other factors, Victor said.
Rendering of the proposed Liberty Point Residences targeted for a site south of Washington Street and east of Route 21 in Gurnee.
Courtesy of Northpointe Development
Liberty Point Residences was among 16 affordable housing developments announced by IHDA in late June to receive federal low-income housing tax credits and other resources.
The credits incentivize private investment, according to the agency, and will support the development of 850 affordable homes for low- to moderate-income families, seniors and veterans in 11 Illinois counties.
Gurnee far exceeds the mandated 10% threshold for affordable housing as published by the IHDA Affordability List, said David Ziegler, community development director.
“While we are not actively recruiting affordable housing projects, we will thoughtfully evaluate any proposals that come to us,” he said.
The village board is expected to consider the proposal Sept. 8.
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