Highland Park Vet Hopes To Open Hospital In Former Radio Shack

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The Plan and Design Commission recommended the approval of a special use permit to allow an animal hospital in a strip mall in southwest Highland Park. The 2,700-square-foot storefront in question at the Woodridge Shopping Center is located between a dry cleaning business and a construction company. It was formerly the site of a Radio Shack.

Veterinarian Jacob Cohen, who born and raised in Highland Park and has practiced veterinary medicine since 2005 and founded the Wicker Park Veterinary Clinic in 2012.

Now that he's moved back to town and started a family, he hopes to open up a second location at 176 Skokie Valley Road, explained Joe McCarthy of the Aurora-based construction company working with Cohen on the project.

At the commission's Sept. 4 meeting, city Planner Andy Cross said animal hospitals have historically been required to obtain special use permits, although advances in the industry have reduced their necessary footprint.

"Veterinary medicine has now become as sophisticated and involved as human medicine with all the sub-specialties," McCarthy said. "Accordingly, we have to provide the medical facilities – the veterinary hospitals – that the customers now expect and that are required for this level of medicine."

Beyond the service the clinic will offer, allowing the hospital at the proposed location will provide a larger economic benefit than most uses, according to McCarthy. The proposed location is near Highland Park's borders with Northbrook and Deerfield.

"This is a destination that draws customers from a far greater area than most 2700-square-foot retail spaces, so its definitely a benefit to the other surrounding businesses, auto dealerships and so on," he said. "The dry cleaners that's very close has already mentioned they need a tenant because their business dropped off after Radio Shack left."

The owner of the adjoining parcel said he was satisfied with plans for a short fence on the north side of the property line to keep dogs out, and several attendees spoke on Cohen's behalf in support of the project.

The proposal is likely to come before the City Council by the end of next month, according to Pioneer Press.