The construction of a new Starbucks in Lake Forest on a long-dormant city parcel is one step closer with the City Council approving of a special-use permit for the proposal.
On March 4, the City Council unanimously endorsed a special-use permit request for a new Starbucks with a drive-through in the northern part of a vacant property at the southeastern corner of Everett and Waukegan roads.
The coffee shop is expected to be approximately 2,200 square feet, with 15 parking spaces and an outside patio on the north and east sides of the building. The proposal received a unanimous recommendation from the city’s Plan Commission last month.
The special-use permit requested by the property owner, Iosue Investments, was required for the construction of an envisioned double drive-through lane that will accommodate up to 15 cars, according to city officials.
The Starbucks is set to go on a roughly 2.3-acre parcel that has not seen commercial activity since 2008. Proposals have been made during that time, but nothing has ever materialized.
“As a lifelong Fourth Ward resident, I’m really excited to see some positive action here,” Alderwoman Eileen Looby Weber said.
With the City Council special-use permit approval, the city’s Building Review Board (BRB) still must approve the plan for design aspects. The Iosue team is scheduled to appear at the April BRB meeting, according to Community Development Director Catherine Czerniak.
She added the plans would also have to be reviewed by the Illinois Department of Transportation for access points since Waukegan Road is a state road.
Once all the approvals are in place, a groundbreaking is anticipated over the summer, with the new building turned over to Starbucks in December, according to Jack Frigo, a real estate advisor for the Iosue family. He said an agreement is in place between the Iosue team and Starbucks.
“Developing this site is challenging, and we have been working cooperatively with the city to arrive at this point, and we are pleased with the outcome,” Frigo said after the meeting.
As for the rest of the property, Frigo said as the construction proceeds for the Starbucks, the Iosue team will be working with the city to discuss future development plans.
Iosue Investments purchased the property in 2019 as it already owned an office building in the adjoining property at 1025 Everett Road. In 2021, Iosue’s proposal for a medical office building and coffee shop received city approval, but the developers were not able to find tenants, according to the city documents.
Last year, Iosue proposed a four-story apartment building in place of the medical office building, but that plan did not receive a Plan Commission recommendation.
Meanwhile, there is another Starbucks without a drive-through a couple of blocks north at the Settlers Square shopping center, but it will remain open at least for now, according to the company.
“Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers and we are continually evaluating our store portfolio. At this time, we remain focused on serving communities at our existing stores in Lake Forest and have no plans to close at this time,” a Starbucks spokesperson wrote in an e-mail.