By spring of next year, people passing the North Chicago corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Illinois Route 137 can expect to see construction underway for a mixed-use development at the 34-acre Sheridan Crossing property after a wait of more than 20 years.
Ever since North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. first took office in 2005, development of Sheridan Crossing has been one of his goals. There were still shuttered factories and a lot of contaminated real estate there when he took office.
“It’s been a long road to be where we are now,” Rockingham said on July 23. “There were so many challenges. This is a new vision for North Chicago.”
North Chicago took its first step toward finding a lead developer or development team on July 22 when it issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) enabling potential developers to persuade the city they are the best choice to create Sheridan Crossing.
Taylor Wegrzyn, the city’s director of economic and community development, said there are a variety of possibilities for mixed or commercial use like retail stores, restaurants, entertainment venues like a movie theater, or even a sports team.
“The site is big enough for a minor league stadium on half of it,” Wegrzyn said Thursday. “There could be some residential. This is the first step in a two-step process.”
Potential developers have until Sept. 18 to submit their RFQ to the city. Wegrzyn said the city will then select a group of finalists. There could be as many as 20. They will be invited to submit their Request for Proposal (RFP) within six to eight weeks.
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“The RFP will show us how they want to develop the property,” Wegrzyn said. “By the end of the year, we will be able to negotiate a development agreement with our chosen developer. By (spring of) 2027, the development will be started.”
For years, the environmental deficiencies of the land prevented anything from happening. Rockingham said there were ongoing discussions with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) about what needed remediation.
A major breakthrough came in 2023 when Rockingham said $4 million was awarded by the federal government through the efforts of U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, to fund the remediation. Starting the curative effort last September, it will be complete in October.
Schneider made Sheridan Crossing a priority in his community-based funding request in 2023. He recognized then the potential it had at a major intersection and its proximity to Naval Station Great Lakes.
“A revitalized Sheridan Crossing will bring good-paying jobs, a strengthened local economy and more exciting opportunities for residents to enjoy all North Chicago has to offer,” Schneider said in an email Friday. “None of this important work would be possible without the extraordinary partnership of Mayor Rockingham and Lake County leadership.”
As the development process evolves over the next five months, Rockingham said he sees the possibility of residences above the stores and other businesses. He would not rule out a hotel with the nearby weekly graduations of recruits at Naval Station Great Lakes.
“This is a clean canvas for our opportunity,” Rockingham said. “This is a vision for North Chicago reimagined. We’re moving in the right direction.”
Immediately north of Sheridan Crossing is the city’s downtown area. Rockingham said he envisions the new development bringing added prosperity to the commercial area immediately west of Sheridan Crossing on Martin Luther King.
As city-owned property, Sheridan Crossing generates no real estate tax or sales tax revenue to the city or any other governmental bodies in the area, such as the schools or the parks. The development will likely change that as it goes back on the tax rolls.
“As we start to see tax dollars from Sheridan Crossing, it can only help the city of North Chicago,” the mayor said. “There will be added revenue for the safety of the community, and it will bring more benefits for the residents.”