A longtime business executive and Republican fundraiser and his son saw their plans for a 494-unit apartment complex across from Skokie Village Crossing on Touhy Avenue approved by the Skokie Village Board two years ago. Now the son, Scott Gidwitz, is now moving forward with a smaller venture in its stead, citing rising interest rates, which killed the original development.
Gidwitz presented his plan for a smaller development at 5440 Touhy Avenue, Skokie, which includes proposals for a Chase bank, Mediterranean restaurant Cava, and breakfast/lunch restaurant First Watch, to the Skokie Plan Commission on Sept. 19. The Plan Commission approved the plans unanimously.
“In 2022, it made a lot more sense to do a mixed-use project there. About 500 units and 30,000 square feet of retail (space), Gidwitz said. “Unfortunately, the market conditions did not support that as interest rates rose and inflation obviously went through the roof.”
Gidwitz said his new proposal with three businesses would “be much easier to execute with a roster of first-class tenants on the western portion of the site for a great retail experience that I think will obviously be beneficial to the village as well as your many residents.”
The village of Skokie’s Communications and Community Engagement Director Patrick Deignan confirmed to Pioneer Press that the 494-unit apartment complex development was not moving forward, and that the new development will head to the village board for approval in October.
Sarah Seale, a communications and public relations specialist for Cava, told Pioneer Press that she could not confirm details for the proposed Skokie location but said the restaurant chain has three restaurants in Illinois with locations in Chicago, Vernon Hills and River Forest.
According to a Cava news release, the first Cava restaurant in the state opened in April in Wicker Park. The company is expecting growth of 15% in 2024 and 2025.
Gidwitz told the commission that the development will have two drive-thrus for Chase Bank and one for Cava. Seale said only 42 of the more than 300 Cava locations have a drive-thru, and none of those are located in Illinois.
First Watch has seven locations in the Chicago suburbs and three in the Milwaukee suburbs, according to its website.
This building at 5440 W. Touhy, Skokie, is owned by Ron and Scott Gidwitz, who had previously planned to raze it and construct a 500-apartment multi-use complex on the site, which is north of Village Crossing Shopping Center and east of Pointe Plaza Shopping Center. Scott Gidwitz is moving forward with plans for a smaller development with two restaurants and a bank.
Gidwitz said his family had owned 6.2 acres of land at 5404-5440 Touhy Avenue and 7235 Linder Avenue for over 60 years. When his family presented the original near 500-unit to the village board in 2022, the plans were to create two buildings of similar size and seven stories each with nearly 1,000 parking spots and a cannabis dispensary near Linder Avenue, according to previous reporting.
