At the August 26, 2019 City of Highland Park Council Meeting, the City Council approved the “Albion at Highland Park” development, a 161-unit five-story multifamily residential structure at 1850 Green Bay Road on the current site of the Karger Recreation Center. Several features accompany the fully-amenitized rental building, including an outdoor courtyard facing Sunset Woods Park, enclosed on-site parking, a green roof, bird-friendly glass, public art lining pedestrian walkways, and a car-sharing service located on-site for residents. The development’s access drive will be realigned to connect to an existing traffic signal at the vehicular entrance to the Renaissance Place parking lots on Green Bay Road to allow for safe vehicular and pedestrian access to the site. The City Council approval followed an extensive public development process which included public hearings and review by multiple City Commissions in addition to extensive coordination with residential and commercial neighbors including the Park District of Highland Park, Lake County Health Department and Sunset Foods. The development will provide on-site parking for patrons of the Lake County Health Center and will maintain access for deliveries to Sunset Foods. The development will also feature 17 affordable units with the same finish and quality as the market rate apartments as part of the City’s Inclusionary Housing Program.
The development will result in increased residential density which will contribute to the economic vitality of the City’s Central Business District. The addition of the Albion at Highland Park Development is consistent with the intent of the City’s B4-5 zoning district which the City adopted in 2015 following a land-use study that identified synergies between increased density and support for Downtown Highland Park commerce.
In 2017, the City of Highland Park placed the Karger Recreation Center Property for sale for potential redevelopment. In January 2018, the City Council approved a Purchase and Sale Agreement in the amount of $3,762,000 with Albion Jacobs Highland Park, LLC for the purchase and redevelopment of the property. The closing and transfer of the property to the developer will occur in Fall 2019.
Further information about the project, including a detailed Frequently Asked Questions and Answers is available here. To learn more about other development projects in Highland Park, please visit www.cityhpil.com/development or call the City Manager’s Office at 847.926.1000. For additional information pertaining to the development, please contact Albion Residential at 312.335.2680.