Northbrook residents again flooded a Village Board meeting to express opposition to a plan that would raze Meadow Plaza Shopping Center near downtown and replace it with three six-story condo buildings.
At least 150 residents were in attendance, according to the Northbrook Fire Department’s count, nearly as many as at the previous Village Board meeting on July 14.
The prospective developer, Pulte Homes Group, first presented a proposal to the Village Board in May as part of a preliminary review process. The preliminary proposal would redevelop Meadow Plaza Shopping Center at 1901 Cherry Lane into three six-story condominiums with 150 residences, two commercial parcels and a public riverwalk, according to the village website.
The buildings would contain 50 residences each, with a mix of two-bedroom and three-bedroom units.
As at the July 14 meeting, the proposal was not included on the July 28 meeting agenda. However, about a dozen residents used the public comment period to voice concerns about the project, with multiple commenters wearing yellow “Save downtown Northbrook” T-shirts.
Before public comment took place Tuesday, Village Board President Kathryn Ciesla emphasized that Pulte Homes Group has not submitted a formal application and that the proposal still remains in the early stages of the village’s review process.
One point of discussion during public comment centered on whether the village had been involved in earlier discussions about the proposed redevelopment of the property.
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Resident Dee Washburn said records she obtained through the Freedom of Information Act showed the Village Board was involved in redevelopment discussions with the property owner and potential developers since June 2024. Washburn suggested the records contradicted a statement Ciesla made July 14 about how Meadow Plaza’s owners, a family trust, decided to sell the property and that the village “did not participate in this process.”
“I have now reviewed more than 170 pages of FOIA documents and respectfully, that statement is impossible to reconcile with the public record,” said Washburn. “The documents show discussions about development incentives, affordable housing, zoning, and redevelopment concepts. They show months of follow-up meetings, not passive observation, but active engagement.”
Later in the meeting, Ciesla questioned Village Development Director Amy McEwan regarding whether the village was involved in the sale of the property. Ciesla asked if the village was a part of the owner’s decision to hire a real estate broker, market the property and solicit bids from prospective buyers, to which McEwan responded that the village was not involved in that process.
McEwan explained that the village regularly communicates with any prospective developers who are interested in zoning so they know what to expect with a project.
“Anyone who’s going to develop land, if you are a developer or an investor, you want to know what’s allowed on that property,” said McEwan.
“You’re going to call my department and you’re going to say, ‘What is the zoning? What’s allowed? What’s in your downtown plan? What’s expected on this site?’ And those are the emails that you saw and the communication that you saw.”
Meadow Plaza Shopping Center has been privately owned by a trust for decades and was most recently listed for sale in 2024. At the previous board meeting held July 14, Ciesla said that if the property is not sold to Pulte Homes Group, it will be sold to a different developer because the owner’s intent is to sell the site.
The owner could not be reached for comment.
Ciesla noted that the proposal still remains in the preliminary review stage, saying if the developer decides to move forward with a formal proposal, there will continue to be opportunities for public input on what happens to the site.
Residents, however, continued to raise concerns, with some saying the proposal would eliminate a decades-old plaza they said has brought vibrance and character to downtown Northbrook.
Susan Nelson, a local resident for 35 years and organizer of a coalition of residents who call themselves “Save Downtown Northbrook,” used the public comment period to question the developer’s choice to make the buildings six stories high and criticize the removal of longtime businesses within the plaza.
“Why is the board going to forcibly remove 14 thriving businesses, some of whom have been here for generations?” Nelson said during the meeting.
“Why not consider other commercial developers who are in the area and who actually have a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of the town as a community, rather than simply as another piece of real estate?”
Other concerns residents raised with the board included potential impacts on schools, traffic and an overall increase in density in the area.
“None of the business owners are happy,” said Serah Cicek, who opened her upscale independent coffee shop, The Bean Bar, about a year and a half ago at Meadow Plaza.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Cicek continued. “I’ve invested my life savings into Bean Bar — if you haven’t seen it, it’s a massive space.”
When she signed her lease around early 2024, she said she was told the plaza was going to be taken off the market, would not be sold, and that the owners planned to put in high-quality businesses.
“Otherwise, why would I make such a huge investment?” she asked. “I was the first to sign a 10-year contract.”
Ciesla shared a statement with Pioneer Press on Wednesday, saying, “We understand the concerns surrounding the potential displacement of the businesses currently located at Meadow Plaza. These businesses are valued members of the Northbrook community, and we recognize the uncertainty that redevelopment proposals can create.
“The Meadow Plaza property is privately owned, and the property owner’s decision to sell the site is independent of the village. While the village cannot control private property transactions or leasing decisions, we are committed to supporting affected businesses by connecting them with available commercial spaces and local resources whenever possible.”