Northfield homeowners along the Happ Road and Central Avenue corridors are one step closer to living inside a Tax Increment Financing district after the Village Board voted 5-1 on Tuesday, June 23, to formally advance the proposal.
The vote schedules two key dates: a joint review board meeting at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, and a public hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 25. A formal vote on whether to create the TIF is tentatively set for Tuesday, September 22.
Village President Tracey Mendrek opened the board's deliberations by framing the TIF as a financial necessity, saying Northfield loses an estimated $350,000 to $400,000 in annual sales tax revenue from empty storefronts.
"Right now the reality is hard to ignore, and hope is not a strategy," Mendrek said. "We need to have a dedicated financial tool to update aging infrastructure, attract new businesses and create the kind of environment where investment actually happens."
Trustee Charles Orth cast the lone no vote, citing what he called "overwhelming disapproval" in emails from residents and pointing to recently revised zoning regulations that have already attracted new development proposals without a TIF.
Village Hall was filled to near capacity for the meeting, with more than a dozen residents speaking during public comment.
What the TIF would do
Under Illinois law, a TIF freezes property-tax revenue collected from the district area at its current base level. As property values rise, the additional tax dollars generated go into the TIF fund for infrastructure and development improvements rather than flowing to overlapping taxing bodies like school districts.
The proposed district would run adjacent to Happ Road between Winnetka Road and Pine Street. SB Friedman Development Advisors, the village's consultant, found 87% of buildings in the area are more than 35 years old, meeting the state's eligibility threshold.
School districts push back
Two school districts have formally opposed the plan. New Trier High School District 203 officials said the TIF would negatively impact the district's tax revenue, with the school board briefed by attorneys and experts on Monday, May 18. Sunset Ridge District 29's board voted unanimously on June 9 to oppose the proposal, citing concerns about a potential surplus of new students and lack of transparency.
Caitlin Johnson, senior vice president at SB Friedman, countered that the vast majority of each affected district's property remains outside the proposed TIF boundary and would continue growing through the normal property-tax system.
Residents divided
Charlie Pick, who owns property inside the proposed TIF boundary, told trustees his building was labeled "blighted" despite his having invested over $300,000 to maintain it. He urged the board to take the blight determinations "with a grain of salt."
Kathy Estabrook, a member of Northfield's Plan and Zoning Commission speaking as a resident, argued that recent rezoning has already attracted three major developments and urged the board not to layer a TIF on top before giving those changes time to work.
Trustee Todd Fowler, voting in favor, cited the loss of Mariano's grocery and concerns about Walgreens, noting that Northfield's office buildings have been "hit extremely hard" since COVID.
What's next
The July 15 joint review board will include representatives from overlapping taxing bodies, including New Trier D203, Sunset Ridge D29, and Avoca. Village Attorney Greg Jones said the joint review board plays a "significant and statutorily empowered role" in the TIF creation process, issuing an advisory opinion before any final vote.
The board also approved creation of an interested parties registry. Residents can sign up at northfieldil.org to receive notices about upcoming TIF meetings and decisions.
