Graycor Construction Company has completed the construction of the retail portion of Mellody Farm, a retail and residential mixed-use development in Vernon Hills, Illinois, for developer and owner Regency Centers. The retail development of Mellody Farm consists of 12 one-story, slab-on-grade retail buildings, nine of which were constructed by Graycor. The 28-acre project is the first upscale, open-air, regionally located shopping and dining destination in Lake County.
Mellody Farm is located at Milwaukee and Townline Roads, an intersection with more than 80,000 cars passing by each day. Graycor completed the ground-up construction of the single-story retail buildings, the expansion of existing roadway on both Milwaukee Road and Townline Road, coordination of all affected utilities, grading and utility stubs for the residential portion of the project. The project consisted of on-site work including rough grading and utility stubs for the residential parcel, site work and building pads for five additional buildings and modification of the existing detention pond to the east.
To create a unique experience, each of the shops in the center has a different finish from precast concrete and steel to masonry. Features include custom benches, murals, reclaimed materials and unique gathering areas such as a park, “lawn” and fire pit. The center includes a 100-yard synthetic turf for which Graycor provided an irrigation system, landscaping, hardscaping including fire and water elements and furniture, fixtures and equipment such as benches, pylon signs and directional signs.
“Mellody Farm is not your average shopping center. It creates an urban sensibility with prestigious shopping options, all targeted toward the high-end community in Lake County,” said Steve Oldendorf, Graycor Construction Manager. “Graycor has enjoyed working with Regency Centers on this development which will serve this community for many years to come.”
The center’s 270,000 square feet of retail space are anchored by Whole Foods, REI, Nordstrom Rack and HomeGoods. Its 20-foot wide walkways are interspersed with artistic elements, and shoppers can access the center via the Des Plaines River Trail’s new at-grade, multi-modal path. First tenants took occupancy in mid-September and developers expect the center will be more than 95 percent occupied by the fall.
