Proposed Development at Lake and Milwaukee Clears First Hurdle

A developer is one step closer to the construction of a 30,000-square foot office and retail space at Glenview's busy intersection of Milwaukee and Lake avenues -- a corner that one village official says is currently "an eyesore."

The Village of Glenview Plan Commission approved the application Tuesday, Feb. 22 of Northbrook-based Park Realty, LLC, with one abstention from Commmissioner Peter Brinckerhoff. Brinckerhoff  said he provided some assistance on the project causing a conflict of interest.

If approved by the appearance commission and the village board of trustees over the next few months, the facility -- which will feature a bank, an office, a daycare and office space -- will be located at 1625-1711 Milwaukee Ave. and 4513 West Lake Ave. 

That intersection "has been an eyesore for a long time," Chairperson Steve Bucklin said after Tuesday's meeting.

Commissioners questioned architect Raffi Arzoumanian of Arzoumanian & Co. for more than an hour about the aesthetics, traffic impact and flow of vehicles inside the development.

"This is a huge project," Bucklin said. "And it's one of those projects that's going to be there and it's going to be a centerpiece for a very large intersection with a lot of cars so we want to get it right."

Arzoumanian said his client is hoping to get all the approvals by mid-spring and break ground in early summer. If all goes well, the facility would be open in about a year.

"It would be a very positive thing for Glenview," Arzoumanian said. "It would help make that intersection more recognizable."

The area currently has a "demolished" gas stations and two empty buildings, he said.

A previous plan to develop the area fell through with the Bucklin said.

"[The current project] would be a benefit to our community and we'd be happy to have it," he added.