Mundelein trustees OK annexation for master planned community

MUNDELEIN – The Mundelein Village Board on Dec. 12 unanimously approved the annexation of more than 700 acres of farmland located northwest of Mundelein on Illinois Route 60.

The annexation prepares the way for a residential, commercial and industrial development referred to as Ivanhoe Village, which will be grounded in the principles of Traditional Neighborhood Development.

The annexation agreement is the first in a multi-step process. The next steps include establishing a development agreement that will outline the specifics for entitlements: zoning, platting and public improvements.

The Wirtz family, owners of the Chicago Blackhawks, real estate holdings, a beverage distribution company and more, aim to build about 1,200 homes, 600 townhomes, 800 multifamily residences and 600 age-targeted residences on a farm that has been in the family’s hands since the 1800s. Most of the property is north of Route 60 and south of Peterson Road.

Before the Dec. 12 meeting, Marina Khoury of DPZ CoDesign presented to Mundelein staff a conceptual land plan on behalf of Ivanhoe Village. Initial plans for the development include a town center as an amenity for residents and visitors of the community, widely distributed ponds and open spaces, wetlands preservation, varied housing types to be mixed throughout the blocks and a network of trails and pedestrian thoroughfares traversing the site and connecting to the Lake County trail system. Additional components of the plan include commercial development expected to be used for medical, office and service purposes. The plan suggests industrial development along Peterson Road with a focus on smaller scale flex spaces for small companies and entrepreneurs.

“Residents will be able to enjoy a pedestrian-friendly, health-sustaining and convenient lifestyle unlike any other community in the region,” Rocky Wirtz said in a news release. “This 25-year project will thoughtfully develop more than 700 acres that surround Ivanhoe Farms and will put the land to good use in harmony with our farmstead and the surrounding community.”

Developers have been active in the area. Pulte Homes is building a 187-unit single-family home development called Sheldon Woods on Route 60 and Route 83. The Alter Group is building a 641-acre industrial development next door to the Wirtz property in Grayslake.

“Once developed, Ivanhoe Village will be one of the larger master-planned communities in Lake County and it will be the first large-scale New Urbanist Traditional Neighborhood Development in the state of Illinois,” Mundelein Mayor Steve Lentz said in the release. “Mundelein is very proud to be on the forefront of this legacy development. We’re committed to this concept of ‘new urbanism’ and we’re serious about making substantial investments to make this happen.”

Similar projects of this scale have taken decades to reach the full potential of the planned development. This project is projected to take about 25 years to build out. The Chicago region has a few developments that use some of the same principles of TND such as Prairie Crossing in Grayslake or The Glen in Glenview, but Ivanhoe Village will be the first to commit wholly to the principles of New Urbanism: walkability, connectivity, mixed uses and diversity, quality architecture and urban design, increased density and sustainability.

“Additionally, we anticipate this project will garner significant economic benefits to Lake County,” Mundelein Village Administrator Eric Guenther said in the release. “Preliminary estimates envision the creation of more than 10,000 one-year jobs resulting from construction activities, as well as over 3,000 ongoing jobs. There will be great benefits in housing options that would include rental and for-sale product, including detached and attached single-family homes, multi-unit buildings, cottages and accessory dwelling units, which will attract a diverse range of occupants.”