Developer wants to add luxury housing plus retail with new Kenilworth building

A developer’s proposal for a housing-plus-retail building in Kenilworth received a mixed public reception during its public unveiling Thursday evening.

Representatives from NEWLOOK Development, a Wilmette-based design and development firm, shared their vision for 515-519 Park Drive on Aug. 14 at a meeting held virtually and in-person at their office in Wilmette.

Tentatively known as Park Place, the proposed four-floor mixed-use development includes seven condominium units, ranging in size from 2,100 to 2,600 square feet.

Michael P. Freiburger, principal and director of design and planning for NEWLOOK, referred to the units as “luxury spaces.”

“I want you to think of, if you’re in your beautiful home, no matter what size it is, you’re just moving to a slightly smaller footprint,” he said. “And you’re clearly elevated above the ground, but it feels like a single family home. It doesn’t feel like a typically small condo.”

The second and third floors would each contain three units, while a 3,500-square-foot penthouse is proposed for the fourth floor. Freiburger said NEWLOOK is proposing a setback for the top floor that will allow the building to feature green spaces, including a green roof.

“When you set this building back, if you do see much of anything, you’ll see plants,” he said.

The proposed main floor includes a parking garage with 14 parking spaces, a lobby entrance, and around 2,500 square feet for retail space for potential businesses such as a coffee shop, wine shop or clothing boutique, all of which Freiburger said neighbors have indicated they would like to see in Kenilworth.

He added that the proposed building complies with the village’s design guidelines, while also acknowledging that it would be larger than the current building that exists in that space. The current building is approximately 30 feet tall, while the proposed building would be near 40.

“Although it’s new and larger than what’s there, we think it’s relatively appropriate to the space, to the neighborhood,” Freiburger said.

The size of a building was one of the concerns for some of the residents who attended in person.

One neighbor said one of his biggest concerns was that the building was going to block natural light coming onto his property. He referred to the size of the proposed building as the “Berlin Wall” surrounding his house.

Freiburger said NEWLOOK commissioned a sun study, which was not part of Thursday’s presentation, that determined the building would have minimal impact on natural light for neighbors.

Neighbor Laura DelVecchio — who lives on Park Drive and was also concerned about the light blocking the neighbors — added that another concern, which was shared by other residents, was that the development would lead to an increase in the demand for parking throughout the village.

“There’s no parking there now,” she said, adding, “You’re going to have these residents living there, and where are their people going to go? And a coffee shop is going to attract people.”

Freiburger noted that Kenilworth’s design guidelines do not require developers to address commercial parking, only residential.

DelVecchio agreed that it’s an issue that the Village will have to work on, but continued to share concern about the proposed development.

“Parking there is going to be a nightmare, plus now I’ve got a wall next to me, and that’s not good for me,” she said. “It’s a beautiful building. It looks very nice, but it’s huge.”

Freiburger acknowledged the size, but said that it’s a challenge that developers have to deal with.

“(Development is) difficult to pull off in any application,” he said. “The only way to pull that off, generally speaking, is by maximizing density.”

But he added that developers are always looking for new solutions.

Another neighbor, Greg Kirrish, said while he is “not against change at all,” the potential negatives the proposed development could bring, including an increase in alley traffic, are too much for him.

“I can’t see, for me, a positive,” he said. “Yeah, it’s a beautiful building. What does it bring for me?”

Freiburger thanked all who attended for their feedback, and said Thursday’s meeting was just the first in a multi-step process for the proposal.

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