A proposed condominium building in Lake Bluff’s Block 3 may be one step closer to construction as the village board has initially approved the concept. Meanwhile, discussions are ongoing for a separate proposal on another section of the property.
On Dec. 9, village trustees unanimously supported a preliminary development plan including variations for the proposed condominium project located at 120 E. Scranton Avenue on the western section of the Lake Bluff property commonly known as Block 3.
The condominiums would replace a long-closed bank building. For years, the village has wanted to see activity on the site, but previous ideas have never materialized.
“I’m actually very excited as well to see that bank building replaced by something more proper for Lake Bluff,” Village President Regis Charlot said.
Local developers Todd Altounian and Peter Witmer envision a six to eight-unit condo building with three to four units on each floor. The number of units will be determined by the preferred size of the apartment from a buyer. Witmer said he has received feedback that some potential buyers might want a unit as large as 3,500 square feet, marking a change from earlier this year when he believed the units would range between 2,000 to 3,000 square feet.
“You have ultimate flexibility to design whatever that space is,” Witmer told the village trustees.
The proposed building would feature 20 underground parking spots, along with five spaces on Oak Avenue, and two additional spaces on Scranton Avenue, following the removal of the existing driveway that was part of the bank, Witmer said.
Witmer estimated the apartment units would cost between $900 to $1,000 per square foot. Thus they would have a similar cost to the existing McKinley Road condominiums just east of downtown Lake Forest, another project of Witmer and Altounian.
“What we found in Lake Forest is there is a market for it,” Witmer said. “But it is not a massive amount. We feel very comfortable with the numbers we are talking about.”
As part of the preliminary approval, the developers received height variations as the proposed building is 35 feet and has a partial third floor as the village zoning code has a 30-foot limit with two stories.
The plan had been unanimously recommended for trustee approval by the village’s plan commission/zoning board of appeals (PCZBA) earlier in the fall. Witmer and Altounian also showcased the plan to the village’s architectural board of review (ABR) in November. Members of that committee suggested adjustments to the façade and the area over the garage in terms of brick detailing.
Witmer said they are working on changes to the proposal and will go back to the ABR after the first of the year with revisions.
For final approval, the developers will also have to go back to the PCZBA and the village board with updated plans including engineering reports.
Witmer said if all the approvals come through and building permits are issued in the first part of 2025, demolition could start next summer of the existing bank building. He believes construction of the exterior would take about a year and it would be another 8-12 months to fill in the interiors, leading to potential occupancy of the building in early 2027.
Meanwhile, on Dec. 18, the PCZBA was set to have a second informal presentation from representatives of Jason and Courtney Trombley, the owners of the eastern section of Block 3. They are proposing a multi-family building of up to four units at the vacant lot/parking lot at the northwest corner of Evanston and Scranton Avenues.
The Trombleys and their representatives face a different situation seeking approval than Witmer and Altounian as the bank building is zoned for the commercial business district, while their property is zoned in the R-4 single-family residence district.
A complete zoning review has yet to be completed of the preliminary drawings, according to village documents.
The purpose of the second formal discussion is to allow developers to get feedback and the feasibility of submission of a formal proposal, village documents added.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
