Developer reportedly has deal in place for Wilmette’s Metra lot

A new addition to downtown Wilmette may be on its way as a developer has an agreement in place to reimagine coveted real estate in the heart of town.

Wilmette officials announced Tuesday night during the Village Board meeting that Union Pacific Railroad is under contract with a developer that is seeking to reimagine the Metra parking lot in the Village Center.

Village Manager Michael Braiman said the prospective developer of the property is “seeking to build some type of residential project in our downtown on that site.”

Braiman continued on to call the potential endeavor a “complicated project,” noting that there are significant amounts of public parking — used for both Metra commuters and patrons of downtown Wilmette — on the site.

Village officials have yet to see a concept plan for the project, Braiman told trustees, but he confirmed that the property is under contract and that the developer “is likely to bring (the village) some type of redevelopment application possibly this year.”

During a brief follow-up with The Record after the meeting, Braiman said the Village is not currently aware of the proposed scale of the project yet, and he called the status of the potential project “very preliminary” and confirmed the village does not yet have an application submitted.

One of the key details village officials will need to work through, regardless of any project’s specifics for the site, is how to handle commuter parking.

“That obviously is a critical component of our downtown, and our community and we will make sure that is clearly expressed to any developer,” Braiman said.

The Metra lot currently includes more than 300 parking spots, Braiman told the board.

As Wilmette’s downtown area has developed and flourished in recent years, the Metra lot has served as a respite for parking relief during peak hours.

Wilmette in 2024 made spaces in the Metra parking lot free on weekdays after 1 p.m. to address those growing challenges, The Record reported.

As of that time, according to a parking study presented by the village, there are roughly 850 parking spots in downtown Wilmette. That total includes Metra parking, on-street spots, Village-owned lots and the Burmeister deck.

Village planning documents, most notably Wilmette’s comprehensive plan, have for years identified the Metra lot as a potential redevelopment site.

The comprehensive plan calls “for possible redevelopment of parking near the Metra station into mixed-use development while consolidating parking needs for Metra riders and maintaining access to employees and customers of Village Center businesses during non-commuter hours.”

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