Old country road shifts into overdrive
New developments sprouting along Milwaukee Avenue
By Jeffrey Steele | Special to the Tribune
May 2, 2008
Decades before it was a corporate corridor, a restaurant mecca or automobile dealership row, Milwaukee Avenue from Wheeling north was a ribbon of quiet country road.
After World War II, Chicagoans would pile the kids in the family sedan and drive up Milwaukee Avenue past forests and farms, deep into the heart of Lake County for Sunday afternoons of fresh air and open spaces. Only after supper at a rural roadhouse would they wearily motor back to the teeming urban enclaves they called home.
But that was long ago, and many current residents would argue there isn't room for another house along the highway. But single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums continue to sprout on the remaining open land. The newest developments along or near bustling Milwaukee Avenue are turning to the past for inspiration. They are being designed to encourage walking and limit car trips up and down the avenue.
"When it's nice out, I put my daughter in the stroller and we walk around," said Kelly Pryor, who with her husband, Dan, and their daughter moved to Waterbury Place in Buffalo Grove a little more than a year ago.
The development stands on a 31-acre site formerly occupied by a light industrial firm at Illinois Highway 22 and Waterbury Lane, just west of Milwaukee Avenue.
"There are ducks, geese and flowers around that she likes to look at," added Pryor. "And the Metra [commuter station] is right near us, so we can hop on the train and go downtown real easily." We can also walk to another community that has a park."
When the Pryors and other newcomers do get behind the wheel, they can reach restaurants, stores, entertainment and recreation with a short drive. Retail centers like Lincolnshire Commons and Rivertree Court beckon shoppers. Gourmands love Wheeling's restaurant row, featuring Tuscany, Benihana, Buca di Beppo, Don Roth's Blackhawk and more. And jazz lovers swear by Pete Miller's.
"Everything is pretty convenient," said Pryor. "In terms of shopping, everything you need is within five miles."
When complete, Waterbury Place will offer 156 single-family homes, duplexes, townhomes, rowhomes and villas. The two- to four-bedroom, 2 to 21/2-bath homes with attached garages are priced from the $360,000s to mid-$800,000s, says Jeanne Martini, director of sales and marketing for Glenview-based Edward R. James Homes.
A little south of Waterbury Place is Willow Place, a development of 58 townhomes at Foster and Old Willow Roads in Wheeling. It's the first development for a Chicago-area builder with a long history in Wheeling: Chicago-based Lexington Homes.
In its previous life, the company built Lexington Commons and Lexington Club in the 1970s and '80s, says Jeff Benach, executive vice president of sales and marketing.
The first company known as Lexington Homes was sold to another firm in 1989, after which Benach and colleagues launched Concord Homes. After selling Concord Homes to Lennar in 2002, the same group founded the new Lexington Homes in 2006.
At Willow Place, the three-bedroom, 21/2-bath townhomes range from 1,789 to 2,012 square feet and are priced from $349,900 to $399,900. Residents there enjoy transportation conveniences, because Willow Place is just three miles west of I-294 and less than a mile from the Prospect Heights station on Metra's North Central line.
"I drove by the station one night, and about a third of the parking lot was empty," Benach marvels. "I was shocked. When did you last see a Metra parking lot that wasn't full? Only time I can think of is midnight."
Transportation convenience is just part of the appeal of a Willow Place home, Benach added.
"Wheeling has had such a renaissance over the last couple of decades, in terms of its entire feeling," he said. "Much of it has had a resurgence in housing."As Milwaukee Avenue continues north, it slices through the formerly wide-open spaces of Vernon Hills. Just west of Milwaukee along the east side of U.S. Highway 45 is Port Clinton Place, a development of 47 three-level rowhomes and 132 single-level condos.
Developed by Rosemont-based Opus North Corp., Port Clinton Place is part of a $125 million, 20-acre mixed-use redevelopment on Vernon Hills' far southeast side. The one-bedroom-plus-den to three-bedroom condos range from 1,036 to 2,187 square feet, with prices starting in the mid $200,000s.
Rowhomes range from 2,028 to 2,464 square feet, feature three bedrooms, 21/2 baths and attached rear-loaded two-car garages, and are priced starting in the mid $400,000s, said Matt Nix, senior real estate director for Opus North.
Also in Vernon Hills but farther north on Milwaukee Avenue stands River's Edge Condominiums, a striking five-story stone structure graced by corner turrets and lovely balconies.
This 40-unit development has 10 condos remaining, ranging from two-bedroom, two-bath units of 1,600 square feet to three-bedroom, 21/2-bath models at 2,325 square feet. Prices range from $349,999 to the $540,000s. Another building mirroring the first will be built to the east of the existing structure in 2009.
As attractive as the building itself is the wooded acreage bordering the property. River's Edge Condominiums by Weiss Development of Lincolnshire is just a few seconds from shopping centers and restaurants, but at the same time removed from them. "We're surrounded by two forest preserves, and protected Lake County property on three sides," said David Schwartz, new home sales adviser. "This is a hidden oasis. It's the community itself, surrounded by miles and miles of trails that will take you along the Des Plaines River."
Drive still farther north to Libertyville, you will find Northbrook-based Ferris Homes is in its second phase of construction on a development called Liberty Grove, at Milwaukee Avenue and Illinois Highway 137.
Complementing a first phase of 25 townhomes finished about two years ago, Ferris is now building 18 single-family homes.
"We have a handful of lots available where you can build from scratch," said Pam Albrecht, the company's vice president of sales and marketing. "We also have 'Designer Showcase' homes, completed but pre-drywall with no color selections, giving buyers the chance to make their own determinations."
Floor plans of each home are unique from all others, Albrecht said. And though it's a custom home community, Liberty Grove offers model homes to walk through. "You can try those on and get a feeling for the quality and floor plans, and that's hard to do with just a blueprint," she added.
Interstate 294 is a three- or four-minute drive east, and Metra trains serve Libertyville's nicely preserved historic downtown, Albrecht said. Liberty Grove residents Ruchi Seth and her husband, Ashim, had a custom single-family home with four bedrooms and 41/2 baths built last year. They liked the proximity to their workplaces in Libertyville and Lincolnshire, as well as the open space and landscaping offered by the community.
"They kept spaces for greenery, and that beautifies the whole area," Ruchi Seth said. "It's a very nice area to just walk around in. And Independence Grove is right across the street, so it's easy for us to bicycle to the forest preserve."
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