Despite ‘big improvement,’ Winnetka advisory board not yet sold on new four-story building in Hubbard Woods

Developers behind what village officials are calling a “massive project” that could “set the tone for the next stages of Winnetka” will need to go back to the drawing board once more before gaining the blessing of a key advisory group. 

Winnetka’s Design Review Board on Thursday, June 18, conducted its second review of a large-scale proposal that would totally reimagine a signature stretch of Green Bay Road in the village’s Hubbard Woods Business District. 

The current proposal calls for the construction of a new four-story mixed-use development built across four parcels, three of which are on Green Bay Road while one sits on Tower Court. 

If ultimately approved, the project, as proposed, would include the demolition of the following existing structures: 

• 901-905 Green Bay Road (occupants: Rebel House interior design and Red Spade landscape design);

• 907-909 Green Bay Road (Bella Bleu Bridal and Alexandra Kaehler Design);

• 911-913 Green Bay Road (Munder-Skiles and a residence); and

• 1007-1011 Tower Road (Europa Motors).

The new structure would feature 14 residential condominiums and just under 16,000 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor. 

According to village officials and project planners, 55 parking spaces, consisting of nine at street-level and 46 underground, are also part of the proposal. 

Plans for the effort, known in submittal documents as Tower Court Condominiums, first surfaced in public meetings in late October of last year when Winnetka’s Village Council held a preliminary review. 

Village trustees during that session showed some support for the basis of the project but also brought forth concerns about the building’s height and massing as well as potential parking problems. 

Formal review of the project began then last month when the Design Review Board first considered the application during its May 21 meeting. Commissioners during their initial review, according to village documents, expressed concern about the “height, scale, and compatibility with the surrounding buildings.” 

Additionally, per a village memo, hesitations about the building’s “urban” appearance in an intimate downtown setting were also a focal point of feedback. 

Prior to the board’s June 18 hearing, planners made several revisions to the proposal, including a further setback on the fourth floor, a reduction in building height and a series of design and material-related changes. 

Jon Talty, chief executive officer of OKW Architects, the design firm behind the One Winnetka development in downtown Winnetka, told the board that the goal behind the revisions was to lessen the project’s impact on Green Bay Road.  

Commissioners were receptive to the revisions but the board reached a clear consensus that there’s more work to be done. 

Katie Moor, the board’s chair, described the updated proposal as a “big improvement” but also said she “continues to struggle feeling like (the project) fits in” on this stretch of Green Bay Road. 

“This just to me, as it stands right now, still, even with the changes, which are terrific relative to version one, doesn’t feel like it fits it,” Moor said. 

Earlier in the meeting, Moor called the project “an exciting opportunity for growth” but cautioned that “we just want to do it the right way and make sure we’re preserving and enhancing what’s there while also being cognizant of the quality.”

Board member Heather Niehoff noted that the changes “are in the right direction” and the design has “some nice moments” but said overall the project “doesn’t feel cohesive.” 

She also expressed a hope to see additional project schemes that were less developed than just the one comprehensive proposal that was brought to the board. 

“I think we need to go back to the drawing board and look at some other options personally,” she said. 

Commissioner Chris Baggett agreed with the thesis of the project, noting there’s a need for such housing projects in the village, but he added that those developments have to “be done right and match the neighborhood and the sentiment of what the community looks like in general.” He later added that he believes the project “needs to change dramatically the way it looks.” 

The board ultimately voted to continue its consideration of the project to its next meeting on July 16. Commissioners also designated Niehoff and Moor as delegates of the board to work with developers in the interim on further potential revisions prior to the meeting. 

The proposal will also need to go before Winnetka’s Planned Development Commission. Winnetka’s Village Council will make the final decision on the project. 

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