Plans for a redevelopment of the retail center formerly known as Prairie View Plaza moved forward after Kensington Development Partners and IM Properties received unanimous approval from the village of Morton Grove Plan Commission. The developers also revealed a roster of new tenants, plans for a multifamily component and a new name for the property: Sawmill Station.
According to John Schoditsch, principal at the Oak Brook, Illinois-based Kensington Development Partners, the joint venture is in varying stages of lease negotiations with Flix Brewhouse theater and brewery, Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant, Kohl’s Department Store, LA Fitness Signature Club, a grocery store and more. Combined, these tenants would take a significant portion of the projected 240,000 square feet in newly developed retail space when they begin moving in next year.
“We are excited by the fast progress being made and the collaboration that has existed in bringing Morton Grove the lifestyle center and gathering place it has envisioned,” Schoditsch said. “The fast progress speaks to the common vision and aggressiveness of the team along with the retail market’s appetite for a well-conceived project like Sawmill Station.”
The development’s name, Sawmill Station, pays tribute to the area’s historic Miller’s Mill, the first water-powered saw mill that was erected by John Miller in 1841. Sawmill Station will attract residents to this long-awaited future neighborhood gathering place as the redevelopment also calls for the future development of a 240-unit multifamily project overlooking the forest preserve on the eastern portion of the property.
Last September, Kensington Development Partners and IM Properties acquired the 26-acre, 310,000-square-foot Prairie View Plaza. The property’s location at the southeast quadrant of Dempster Street and Waukegan Road features strong demographics. The population is 149,524 within three miles and 391,867 within five miles. Average household income is $97,860 and $107,902 within three and five miles, respectively.
