Lofts in Lincolnshire

October 2000
Real Estate Chicago
By Bonnie Grota

Environmental Community Development Company (ECD Co.) of Buffalo Grove is re-inventing the suburban office building/retail center with its CityPark Lincolnshire. Located at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Aptakisic Road, the $70 million, 47-acre project sees street exposure from over 50,000 cars per day.

Already open at the site is Regal Cinema’s 20-screen complex with stadium seating, audiophile sound and a 3-D IMAX theater that seats 300.

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has opened its first suburban Big Bowl restaurant and its steak and chophouse restaurant, Wildfire.

More restaurants are to follow. Chicago-based Chart House Enterprises Inc. will bring its seafood restaurant here. The chain currently operates over 40 restaurants in 17 states. This will be the chain’s first non-traditional site in that its current locations are in freestanding, and/or historical buildings.

Many have remote or waterside views. The Lincolnshire location will feature architecture unique to the project and will include an outdoor patio, sushi bar and a saltwater aquarium. Aumiller Youngquist PC of Mount Prospect is architect for the restaurant. Plans call for the location to open by winter 2001.

According to Anne Kane of the Village of Lincolnshire planning department, Red Robin will open in CityPark in 2001 as well as it expands its chain of locations in the Chicago area.

The 78,000 square foot retail component will be designed by the Aria Group of Oak Park. In addition to the dining components, the project will offer specialty shopping and include a large common area for special events and live entertainment.

According to Scott Greenberg, president of ECD Company, developer and manager of CityPark Lincolnshire, the goal is to create a destination experience for both residents of the area, business travelers and the eventual office tenants. A 117-room Hampton In & suites already provides a fitness center, pool and meeting rooms. Hotel guests provide a flow of people throughout the day for the project’s retail and restaurant components.

But the office project, CityPark Corporate Center, will distinguish itself from many of the office complexes in the area. Richard Preves & Associates PC of Libertyville is architect for the offices, which, as Greenberg describes, will juxtapose the style of 19th century warehouse loft buildings with a 21st century industrial high tech design. Few suburban office properties showcase exposed ductwork with glass atriums.

The three-story, 70,000 square foot building’s loft space will feature 15-foot floor-to-ceiling height. In order to attract the high-tech industries, there will be an on-site Ameritech fiber optic regional hub. Tenants will have access to other broadband Internet providers.

An emphasis on high efficiency HVAC has been incorporated into the property. A special high voltage electrical service has been designed to cut tenant electrical costs by about $1 per square foot per year compared to traditional buildings in the market. Tenants will have 6.2 watts of power per square foot available, exclusive power for the HVAC.

Finally, tenants will have the option of balconies and operable windows on the second and third floors.

Parking will be augmented by an attached three-story, 106,000 square foot parking deck.

CityPark Lincolnshire seems to be part of a trend in the evolution of suburban developments as tenants seek properties that incorporate amenities where people can both work and play.

Back to Press Release Page