8000 North Skokie Project Update
During the Village Board of Trustees meeting on February 20, 2018, 8000 North, LLC received final approval for a development agreement with the Village for the site which formerly housed the Desiree Restaurant (and other businesses) located at the northwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street. 8000 North will be a twelve (12) story mixed-use commercial and residential building and is anticipated to be substantially completed by December, 2019. This iconic project will not only create a new destination in downtown, but is transformative in nature and will also further the redevelopment of downtown Skokie. 8000 North, LLC is expected to start site preparation this spring with construction of the $60+ million project underway by summer. The development features 153 rental units consisting of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, and approximately 15,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space. As part of the public benefit, the developer will construct a parking garage adjacent to the building which will include 73 public parking spaces and 192 private parking spaces for residents of the building.
The development agreement formally establishes the public-private partnership between 8000 North, LLC and the Village of Skokie. The partnership was made possible through the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) investment for site acquisition and assemblage, building demolition, environmental remediation, and public parking.
"8000 North" twelve-story high-rise development proposed for suburban Skokie
After spilling into neighboring Evanston, Chicago’s rental apartment boom is looking to leapfrog one village north to suburban Skokie, Illinois. Last week, co-developers Greenspire Capital, Pontarelli & Company, and Hoffman Homes publicly unveiled their plan for a 12-story mixed-use development at the northwest corner of Lincoln Avenue and Oakton Street.
Previously home to the Desiree restaurant, the site is roughly a half mile west of the Oakton-Skokie stop of the CTA’s Yellow Line. Since Desiree’s closure, Village officials have been keen to bring new life to the vacant corner and had issued a formal request for proposals for the parcel earlier this spring.
The design of the so-called ‘8000 North’ development comes from Chicago-based architecture firm Lucien Lagrange Studio and features a somewhat traditional exterior with curved balconies and ornamental railings. The stacking plan calls for ground floor retail, 153 rental apartments, and green roof space with communal amenities. Parking would fall to a new garage structure expected to serve both residential and public uses.
According to village staff, the project conforms to Skokie’s 2020 Plan for Downtown as adopted back in 2007. The development team hopes to head to the Village Plan Commission next month followed by two trips to the Village Board for final approvals in November and December. Provided that process goes well, occupancy is expected in late 2019.