Murphy Development Group has amended its proposal for the One Winnetka mixed-use project to include the former Connie’s Pharmacy and Phototronics buildings.
The site, at the southeast corner of Lincoln Avenue and Elm Street in Winnetka, is designed to have rental units, ground floor commercial space and below ground parking for building residents. Public parking will also be available and all parking access has moved to Lincoln to minimize traffic impacts. Each unit will have two parking spaces and the new design also allows for 11 more units than before.
“Connie’s is now part of the deal which I think fundamentally makes this a much better, much cleaner and ultimately a much more successful real estate development for both the applicant, the architect and the village,” OKW Architects Jon Talty said. “It helps to solve a lot of head scratching architectural issues and planning issues that we might have had.”
With the addition of Connie’s, the ground floor commercial space grew to over 21,000 square feet. Village Council President Chris Rintz said this would likely be too much and cause issues with renting out the space. He recommended developers consider reducing the space and adding more public parking.
Pedestrian access to public parking is situated along Elm Street and developers said they are hoping to utilize the walkway for store fronts and potentially outdoor dining.
Unit types include one bedrooms with a den, two bedrooms and two bedrooms with a den. The building is designed similar to wedding cake tiers, getting smaller as it gets to the fourth floor.
Unit sizes have shrunk slightly, now sitting at an average of 1,450 square feet, about 150 square feet less. Winnetka Village Trustee Tina Dalman said that it has been difficult in the past for developers to sell units of that size in the village and across the Midwest. Talty said there is flexibility in the plans to alter unit size.
Some units come with balconies, another concern for village trustees who want to ensure that they aren’t used for unsightly storage space. Multiple trustees expressed the need for guidelines around balcony usage to preserve views.
“The question of what goes on the balconies is a really good one,” Talty said. “It is not our intent for it to be bike storage and 30-year-old Weber grills and the like. That is not the spirit of what this development is all about.”
The village will have to OK several exceptions to zoning rules for maximum building height and front and rear setbacks. Ground floor parking would also require special use approval and if financial or medical tenants occupy the ground floor commercial space, those tenants will need to complete a licensing agreement with the village.
John Phelan, president of the condo association at the neighboring property at 711 Oak Street, said that this plan is much better than previous years but is concerned about the potential of asbestos being released during demolition.
More Top Picks Best Tens Units For Migraines
Another 711 Oak Street resident, Frank Petrek, echoed Phelan’s praise for the design and said as someone who has paid attention to construction in the village for nearly 40 years, this design is very good.