Trib Local - Northbrook
Village assumes control over Founders Drive
What was once a private road linking shopping centers and homes near Waukegan and Willow roads is now a public asset.
The village of Northbrook assumed control of Founders earlier this month, fulfilling a commitment made before the road was constructed in 2005 on land owned by the Society of the Divine Word, a Catholic missionary order.
“When it was annexed, part of the agreement was that the land wouldn’t be a burden, financial or otherwise, to the village,” said Ginny Mulligan, executive director of the Techny Land Corp., which handles the missionary group’s property.
Since the late 1980s, the area on the far south end of Northbrook has become a major retail hub. The property is known for being the home of the Willow Festival shopping center, as well as other entities like Crate and Barrel and Five Seasons Sports Club.
Years ago, the Society decided to lease the land for development rather than sell it, explained Lisa Trafficanta of the Techny Land Corp. Money from the leases is used to support the order’s missionary work, and the land corporation was formed to oversee the development, she said.
Despite the plethora of buildings at in the Founders Drive area, development remains incomplete, Mulligan said. Two parcels remain vacant, she said, and a developer has expressed interest in one of them.
The weak economy has hindered the progress, Mulligan said.
“We may just hang onto it until the world changes a bit,” she said.
One Sept. 28, the Northbrook Board of Trustees considered a plan for an assisted living development for seniors along Founders Drive, but it was referred back to the Plan and Architectural Control commissions after some trustees expressed concerns about the design and whether such a facility was the best fit for the area.
The mile-long Founders Drive was built for $2.5 million and named for the saints who founded the Society.