After several years of sitting dormant, construction could start soon on the prominent Glencoe property commonly known as the Hoover Estate.
In October 2020, the Glencoe Village Board approved a development agreement for the property to build 29 single-family houses now formally titled the Forest Edge Subdivision. However, the building process never started on the acre-plus tract of land at 1800 Green Bay Road and is now under contract to be sold to an organization titled Estates of Glencoe LLC.
Simon Berger, the LLC’s principal, confirmed the transaction is under contract, but it has yet to be finalized.
But that could change soon, Berger noted.
“If we do move forward with the project, we will start moving dirt no later than July 15th,” Berger said.
Berger said he would release additional details on the developer’s plans for the property if and when the sale closes.
With the Estates of Glencoe LLC on the verge of taking over, the current developer, Glencoe Developers, LLC and the property owner, Hoover Owner, LLC, are moving on.
“We couldn’t build what we wanted to build, we decided to sell it,” developer Arthur Goldner said. “There are a lot of things that happen in this world that prevent you from doing what you want to do. We are fine with the way this happened.”
The would-be transaction represents the latest chapter in lengthy village drama going back several years when members of the Hoover family, popularly known for their eponymous vacuum cleaners, put the estate up for sale. To accommodate the envisioned houses, the existing manor house, couch house and stables were razed.
The village board approved the final plat of subdivision and development agreement in October 2020, after a series of meetings with some neighbors of the property expressing stormwater management concerns.
Development stalled for years but village officials are hopeful that will soon change.
“It was disappointing that it stopped but it is starting again,” Village President Howard Roin said. “This appears to be real and we have every reason to believe they will start infrastructure work this summer. It’s never over until its over but the new buyers appear to be very serious.”
On May 17, Village Board trustees approved two amendments to the existing development agreements as part of the anticipated sale of the property.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.