Northbrook Court redevelopment progresses

Any forward progress is good concerning Northbrook Court's redevelopment, but details were slim in a preliminary application submitted to the Village of Northbrook on June 13.

Brookfield Properties, owner of the shopping center at 1515-1775 Lake-Cook Road, indicated an initial phase of 115,000 square feet devoted to retail, restaurants and entertainment.

Brookfield specified 11 subareas as part of a conceptual master plan and block plan for the C-4 Regional Shopping District. That zoning designation pertains to no other area in Northbrook, said Jonathan Mendel, the village's director of planning and development

These subareas were laid out when the village approved a nonbinding predevelopment agreement for the 10-year plan with Brookfield at the May 23 board meeting.

They will offer a blend of civic, parks and open space areas, event space, commercial and residential uses. Also included is the Neiman Marcus store, the lone remaining anchor from the mall's 1976 opening.

The subareas will be organized around a "commercial destination area offering a new outdoor and pedestrian-oriented experience," the application read.

Brookfield specified the initial phase as "Phase I Retail," situated in two subareas on the northeast portion of the 107-acre property, NE-1 and a portion of NE-2.

Planned is a new building, approximately 115,000 square feet, with about 75,000 square feet devoted to retail and 40,000 square feet for "complementary uses," per the application.

A village memo said Phase 1 would be designed as a "pedestrian scaled outdoor experience."

Trustees were excited about the $750 million project.

"It gives us a hint, a sniff of what we are going to be working with down the road," said Trustee Bob Israel.