Glencoe taxpayers are now on the hook for $15.7 million to build the new Golf Club clubhouse, after the Village Board unanimously approved a sixth change order on Wednesday, Aug. 19.

The $99,935 addition pushes the contract with general contractor W.B. Olson past the $15 million voters authorized in a 2023 referendum. It also sets a new substantial completion date of Sept. 11, nearly a month past the original Aug. 14 deadline.

Public Works Director Monica Sarna told trustees that a combination of heavy summer rain, an underground storage tank nobody knew was there, and a Cook County inspection requiring additional lighting and a revised detention pond all contributed to the delays and added costs.

"It has been a very wet summer, especially as far as the last month or so," Sarna said at the Aug. 19 meeting, according to The Record North Shore.

The buried tank was removed with limited physical impact, but Sarna said it caused "ripple effects in the contractor's scheduling." Owner-initiated changes also factored in: technology infrastructure upgrades, conversion of a walk-in freezer to a refrigerator, and power supply and parking lot additions.

Six change orders have been issued since March 2025. The original contract value with W.B. Olson, a Northbrook-based construction firm, has not been publicly disclosed.

Final Cook County inspections are scheduled for the first week of September, leaving about a week and a half to address any findings before the Sept. 11 target.

Village President Howard Roin acknowledged residents' frustration but backed the project team. "Obviously nobody loves the fact that we're paying more money and it's getting delayed by a couple weeks," Roin said. "But we have confidence in you, in your team, that you've been driving as hard a bargain as you can to get this done."

New food and beverage contract approved

At the same meeting, trustees unanimously approved a five-year food and beverage contract with Clubhouse Group, which operates under the name Housepitality Group. The company runs Grill House and Cabo Grill in Northbrook and Backyard Grill in Highland Park.

Clubhouse Group has been providing interim food service at the golf club since March to keep operations running during construction. Under the new deal, starting in 2027 the vendor will pay the Village a $45,000 annual base fee plus revenue shares: 8% of net food sales, 10% of net alcohol sales and 12% of net catering and private event sales. The Village keeps 100% of private room rental fees.

The contract includes options for two additional five-year renewals.

General manager Stella Nanos said the clubhouse will offer a full-service restaurant and bar with brunch, lunch and dinner menus, a cocktail and wine list, children's options and an on-site special event manager for private celebrations and community gatherings.

Glencoe voters approved the $18 million project in April 2023, with 57% supporting the Village's request to borrow up to $15 million. The old clubhouse was demolished in May 2025. The new Prairie Style building broke ground that same month.

The Sept. 11 target is not final. If Cook County inspectors flag issues in early September, the opening could slip again.