The stretch of Waukegan Road that Northfield residents often compare unfavorably to Winnetka's Elm Street or Glencoe's Park Avenue now has a formal redevelopment blueprint on the table.
The Village of Northfield published a TIF Eligibility Report and Redevelopment Plan on June 12, prepared by Chicago-based consultant SB Friedman Development Advisors.
The document lays the groundwork for a Tax Increment Financing district covering 141 parcels and 108 acres of the Village Center, the commercial heart of a community that has watched neighboring downtowns attract new restaurants and shops while its own corridor lagged behind.
SB Friedman's team, led by Senior Vice President Caitlin Johnson, AICP, conducted parcel-by-parcel fieldwork and found the proposed area qualifies as a "Conservation Area" under Illinois TIF law. The numbers paint a stark picture:
- 87% of the corridor's 78 primary buildings are more than 35 years old.
- 82% of improved parcels show physical deterioration, including cracked foundations, failing gutters, and water damage.
- 84% are served by at least one inadequate utility. Water mains along Central Avenue and Northfield Road need replacement; unlined sanitary sewers along Northfield Road and Oak Street need rehabilitation; storm sewers in disrepair contribute to chronic flooding along the Northfield Road corridor.
- 83% of structures do not conform to current building and fire codes.
The assessed value of properties in the proposed district reached $80.3 million in 2024, up from $69.6 million in 2019. That roughly 15% gain over five years lagged the Chicago-area Consumer Price Index, which rose approximately 20% in the same period. In plain terms, the corridor lost real value.
A TIF freezes the property tax base at current levels for up to 23 years. As property values rise inside the district, the "increment" above that frozen base flows into a dedicated fund the village can spend only on infrastructure within the district: roads, sidewalks, water lines, sewer systems, site cleanup, and professional services.
TIF funds cannot be used to reimburse the cost of private building construction, though they may cover site preparation, façade improvements, and infrastructure serving private developments.
The village states a TIF does not raise tax rates. However, the village's own FAQ acknowledges a small indirect effect: because growth inside the TIF is set aside, properties outside the district may temporarily carry a slightly larger share of the overall tax burden.
Schools, park districts, and the county continue to receive taxes on the frozen base amount. When the TIF expires or is dissolved early, all taxing bodies share in the full increased value.
The available documents contain no specific financial projections, no projected TIF increment revenue, no estimated total fund size, and no named redevelopment targets or developer partners.
The village has said eminent domain has not been discussed. The redevelopment plan states no more than 10 occupied units would be displaced.
The full June 12 report is posted at northfieldil.org/263/Tax-Increment-Financing-TIF. Residents can also request documents through the village's FOIA officer at northfieldil.org under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140).
The Village Board is scheduled to adopt an ordinance setting the public hearing date on Tuesday, June 23. A Joint Review Board meeting, where school districts, park districts, and Cook County weigh in, is set for Tuesday, July 14.
The public hearing follows on Tuesday, August 25. A final Village Board vote is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22.
No position statements from New Trier Township High School District 203, Sunset Ridge School District 29, Avoca School District 37, the Northfield Park District, or the Winnetka-Northfield Chamber of Commerce have been made public.
