Construction Of Glenview Restaurant Slated For Spring 2024: Board

GLENVIEW, IL — The village is synonymous with the Jackman Park bear fountain and a potential new restaurant will honor the man responsible for its existence. Jackman and Co., proposed for construction at a vacant lot on Glenview Road, will be named after Edwin Jackman (1865-1927) if the restaurant moves forward. Jackman was a steel magnate during his lifetime and a former resident of Golf.

The project took a vital step in the direction of future construction Tuesday night as the Glenview Village Board approved first consideration of an ordinance approving zoning variations, final site plan review, preliminary architecture, preliminary signage, preliminary landscaping, preliminary lighting and preliminary subdivision for the restaurant at 1749 Glenview Road.

The start of construction is slated to begin in spring 2024, according to Jeff Brady, director of community development.

Ryan O’Donnell, founder and CEO of Ballyhoo Hospitality, described the menu at Jackman and Co. as "classic American." He said it will be comparable to the company's flagship restaurant, Gemini, located in Chicago's Lincoln Park.

In March, the Village Board approved the sale of the land to the restaurant group Ballyhoo Hospitality as part of a plan to revitalize downtown Glenview. As part of the agreement to sell the 6,000-square-foot riverside parcel, the Village signed off on providing Ballyhoo a $1.75 million economic development grant to help fund construction of the property. The Village will also be loaning the Chicago-based restaurant group a $2.25 million loan to be paid back over 15 years at a 2 percent interest.

"In my opinion, it's a quality of life issue. It's an investment and it's an annuity for the community," Trustee Tim Doron said of the economic development grant.

RELATED: Village Approves Sale Of Downtown Glenview Land To Restaurant Group

The Village adopted a downtown strategic plan in 2021, which followed the gathering of resident feedback on future economic developments through Glenview Connect, it identified the property at 1739 Glenview Road as a "spark site." According to Glenview Connect, "spark sites" are areas of potential reinvestment or redevelopment. They may include areas that could be redeveloped in the short-term and others that may be long-term opportunities.

"Restaurants are a very risky endeavor. There was a restaurant in downtown Glenview that closed last weekend. It's a risky endeavor and the Village of Glenview is putting up most of the money here," said resident Bill Seitz, who compared the proposal to a "similar situation" with Landmark Theatres opening at The Glen last year.

In that development agreement, $3.5 million was used to reimburse tenant and building improvement costs using existing Glen TIF funds that were designated for the purpose of economic development and infrastructure improvements, according to the Village. The move followed public feedback stemming from the Glenview Connect process.

"I don't view this as subsidizing a particular business. I view it as investing in our downtown," Trustee Gina DeBoni said of the Ballyhoo Hospitality restaurant. "We spent months going through the Glenview Connect process and despite maybe past traditions of Glenview, we heard loud and clear from the community what their vision was downtown and what our rule should be as trustee in helping perfect that vision."

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Ballyhoo, established in 2018 according to its website, currently operates a number of upscale restaurants throughout Chicago and the North Shore, including Sophia Steak (locations in Wilmette and Lake Forest) and Pomeroy (Winnetka). The company said it is hoping to "replicate" its success in Glenview and calls its other restaurants "sister properties."

Ballyhoo is hoping to include outdoor dining at Jackman and Co. and would address some potential concerns regarding leaving enough space for pedestrians to travel on a public sidewalk during the permit process.

Knauer Inc., an architecture firm based in Highwood, said in a letter to the Village that the design of the restaurant is intended to enhance the "historic feel" of downtown Glenview.

"The architecture sure looks nice. This is exciting for a lot of us to see this all come together and fit with the architecture of downtown," Trustee Mary Cooper said.