Deal in place for sale of Wilmette convent and a transition to senior housing

A pending deal would re-envision a 90-year-old Wilmette facility, and it reportedly has the blessing of the property’s longtime owner, the Sisters of Christian Charity.

Celadon Partners has plans to purchase Sacred Heart Convent, 2221 Elmwood Ave., and transform the standing facilities into a senior-care, assisted-living complex, said Scott Henry, partner with and co-founder of Celadon, who on May 22 added that the firm is preparing a zoning application for the Village of Wilmette.

Mike Nardini, with Global Commercial Real Estate, represents the Sisters in real-estate negotiations and said Celadon’s plan to support senior citizens aligns with the Sisters’ values.

“They want to see care, education and senior living to continue their legacy with the property,” Nardini said. “They are pretty happy with what Celadon has planned.”

The Sisters moved into the newly built convent in 1938 on the western end of a series of parcels, including the Mallinckrodt property on Ridge Road, which the organization owned in Wilmette.

The convent — which is nestled among mature trees on a four-acre fenced lot within a residential neighborhood — was for decades a multi-purpose residential facility for Sisters of Christian Charity members. At its height, the convent housed 75 to 100 people and featured health-care facilities, a full cafeteria, worship spaces and plenty more, Nardini said.

In recent years, the property’s residency dwindled, and Nardini said approximately 10 Sisters had to relocate after the property went on the market for $16 million in 2024. He said that the convent still houses an administrative office but no residents.

Word of the Celadon’s plans for the property reached neighbors in May, when an unsigned letter — a copy of which was sent to The Record — criticizing the plans was given to nearby homes.

The letter urges neighbors to contact Celadon and Village officials to express concerns that the plan for senior, assisted living is “inconsistent with the quiet, single-family residential neighborhood that the Village has set up” with its zoning designation of R1, or single-family residential.

In an email to neighbors, Village Manager Michael Braiman said that if officially proposed, Celadon’s plan would require a special-use permit, which is subject to a public-review process.

“The actual zoning review process will be dependent on Celadon’s plans and how they intend the building to function,” Braiman wrote in the email, which he forwarded to The Record. “Please be assured that any zoning review will include a robust public process with public notice to properties within a certain radius of Sacred Heart, a public hearing, public comment (in-person and in writing are both welcomed), and multiple meetings which are all open to the public.”

The unsigned neighborhood letter also says that Celadon is considering adding townhomes on the property. Henry told The Record that townhomes are not part of Celadon’s plan.

Henry, a Wilmette resident, said that while the project is in the very early phases of development, he hopes he is given the opportunity to explain his team’s ideas with the property’s neighbors.

“We’re at the very beginning of this process — at the dreaming phase,” he said. “… I think we have a really great plan if we get the opportunity to show the community what we want to do.”

Celadon Partners has built and manages multiple residential facilities, including supported-living facilities, in the Chicago area. It also has experience with the adaptive reuse of historic structures.

Celadon’s idea is to provide affordable assisted living (an estimated $800 a month, Henry said) for approximately 100 individuals over the age of 65. The facility, he said, would be publicly supported via Medicaid. Henry said many of the residents would require 24-7 care and would not be able to drive, and any cars coming to and from the complex would primarily belong to employees.

Henry said part of Celadon’s proposal would be to donate some green space back to the community, which may create more backyard space for homes that border the property.

“It’s a great project and we’re committed to see it through,” Henry said. “We’re going to see it through, and at the end of the day, it will get voted on (by Wilmette officials) and we will move forward or we won’t.”

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