Optima Communities is embarking on a 150-unit residential development in downtown Wilmette that’s nearly identical to the one next door.

Contingent upon Wilmette officials approving the development, the Glencoe-based firm will acquire the property at 721-739 Green Bay Road, formerly known as the Imperial Motors site, the North Shore Record reported.

The project, called Optima Verdana Phase 2, would feature 150 apartments, with a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. It would also include commercial space on the ground floor. A Starbucks that currently operates at the site will likely remain as a tenant. Rental rates will range from nearly $3,000 to $12,000 per month.

Rising six stories and apexing at 62 feet, the design of the building shows a striking resemblance to Optima Verdana Phase 1, which was completed earlier this year. The main difference between the two buildings is that the top floors for the new building will be set back from the sidewalk “to create a tapering effect that aesthetically concludes the combined forms with a rhythmic, logical ending,” the project overview said, according to the outlet.

There was an open house at the Wilmette Public Library last night, allowing residents to engage in discussions regarding the development. Optima hasn’t officially submitted its proposal, said Wilmette village manager Mike Braiman. The developer could present its formal plans to officials by November at the earliest.

“This type of redevelopment of that site is consistent with the goals of our village center master plan, and it would be the most reasonable proposal we’ve seen to date (for that site),” Braiman told the outlet. “That said, there are going to be a lot of questions from the plan commission and village board, feedback from neighbors and the community at large.”

Rental rates for the first Optima Veranda are in the same range as the targets for the second. There are amenities such as a pickleball court, basketball court, golf simulator, yoga studio, fitness center, business center and dog park.

As part of an agreement with Wilmette, Optima paid $1.6 million to the village to support affordable housing initiatives when undertaking the first project.

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Preliminary renderings have emerged for a second phase of Optima’s Optima Verdana project in Wilmette. Planned for the former Imperial Motors site, the second phase would rise just to the north of the first phase at 721 Green Bay Road.

Designed by the team at Optima, this second phase would match the height of the first phase, reaching a height of 62 feet with six floors. The glassy exterior and vertical landscaping will be incorporated into the design and the building massing will feature more setbacks than the first phase.

The building would accommodate 150 rental units with a mix of one-beds, two-beds, and three-beds. The ground floor would hold commercial space and an outdoor plaza for public use that measures approximately 4,000 square feet.

According to The Record North Shore, to gain approval for the project, Optima would have to submit a pre-application, undergo a Village staff review, file a preliminary application, and eventually go in front of the Appearance Review Commission, Plan Commission and Village Board.

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Your eyes are not playing tricks on you and you are not experiencing deja vu. If it feels like you’ve seen the above image before, it’s because you have — sort of.

The preliminary rendering is of Optima Verdana Phase 2, a nearly identical concept and design as Optima Verdana, which was erected in Wilmette on Green Bay Road over the past two years.

The Village of Wilmette confirmed that Optima has a deal in place to acquire the property at 721-739 Green Bay Road, known as the former Imperial Motors site. The agreement is contingent on Optima gaining approval to develop the land into Optima Verdana Phase II.

According to preliminary plans viewed by The Record, the project would be six stories and 62 feet tall — matching that of Phase I next door. It would feature up to 150 rental units in a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts, as well as commercial space on the ground level.

Optima announced its proposal to neighbors via letter, inviting them to an open house to discuss the project from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, at the Wilmette Public Library.

Wilmette Village Manager Mike Braiman said Optima has not officially filed its new concept with the village and the earliest it would be in front of public officials is November.

“This type of redevelopment of that site is consistent with the goals of our village center master plan, and it would be the most reasonable proposal we’ve seen to date (for that site),” Braiman said. “That said, there are going to be a lot of questions from the plan commission and Village Board, feedback from neighbors and the community at large.”

While the Phase II plan shows glass exterior and vertical landscaping like Phase I, in a significant difference from its sister building, it will set back its top floors from the sidewalk “to create a tapering effect that aesthetically concludes the combined forms with a rhythmic, logical ending,” the project overview says.

Along Green Bay Road to the east and the alley to the west, the building will rise 51 feet before a 15 1/2-foot setback of the sixth floor. On the north side, adjacent to Washington Street, the building will set back its top three floors with the top floor removed nearly 44 feet from the sidewalk elevation.

According to Optima’s preliminary plans, it hopes to keep Starbucks on the ground floor of the building. The two adjacent buildings would be about 60 feet apart but meet at the ground level with a 4,000-square-foot outdoor plaza that diners and the public could use. Another open space would be installed on the north side of the building.

Phase I offers units for between $2,956 to more than $12,000 (2 penthouse units, already rented) per month. Inside, its first floor includes amenities such as a pickleball/basketball court, golf simulator, yoga studio, fitness center, business center, dog park, and interior and exterior lounges.

As a condition of the original project’s approval, Optima paid the Village of Wilmette $1.6 million to support affordable-housing initiatives villagewide — a payment that was executed in the fall of 2021. The funds, according to previous Record reporting, were granted to Community Partners for Affordable Housing, which believes it can turn the support into at least 15 affordable units.

Optima’s preliminary plans state it will present a proposal to support affordable housing at a later date. Braiman said the Village would look for Optima to contribute a minimum of what it did for Phase I.

If Optima moves forward, it would submit a pre-application, endure a Village staff review, file a preliminary application, and eventually go in front of the Appearance Review Commission, Plan Commission and Village Board.

“This is going to be a long, challenging review process for Optima,” Braiman said. “We will look to feedback from community and impact on the community and for the plan commission and village board for a final decision.”

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Public hearings on the second phase of the Optima Verdana luxury apartments on Green Bay Road in Wilmette are expected to start in February and plans include more than $2 million earmarked for affordable housing in village, officials said.

Optima Verdana Phase 2, at 721 to 739 Green Bay Road, is still in the planning stage but if the village board signs off on the project later this year it will be build directly north of Optima Verdana Phase 1 at 1210 Central Ave.

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Plans for a second large residential development from Optima in Wilmette’s Green Bay Road Corridor continue to evolve.

For the second time, Optima requested and was granted a delay in the Village of Wilmette’s public review of the plans as the company “responds to the feedback we’ve received from the community members and the Village of Wilmette,” said David Hovey Jr, Optima’s president and chief operating officer, in an email to The Record.

It is unclear when the review process will resume; however, Village Manager Mike Braiman does not expect a lengthy delay. Different components of Optima’s plans for Optima Lumina, the revised name for the development, must be considered by the Village of Wilmette’s Housing Commission, Appearance Review Commission, Plan Commission and Board of Trustees.

Optima Lumina is a proposed six-story development at 721-739 Green Bay Road, adjacent to its sister building Optima Verdana, a six-story, 100-unit complex built from 2021-2023.

A primary change from Optima Lumina’s original plans, which featured a similar design to Optima Verdana, is the inclusion of further bird-friendly materials and design, Hovey Jr. said.

The change comes in the wake of criticism from Wilmette volunteers who tracked bird collisions at Optima Verdana in October 2023, according to reporting from The Record.

In response, Optima reportedly is making the glaze on its windows less transparent and improving other components of its “bird collision deterrence design,” Hovey Jr. wrote.

Other changes in the most recent plans, Hovey Jr. said, include: a reduction on the exposed glazing on the exterior of the building, more open space and building separation between the two Optima buildings, and the incorporation of colors that blend with traditional building materials.

The Village of Wilmette confirmed last August that Optima had a conditional deal in place to purchase and develop the land where a former Imperial Motors factory is located, 721-739 Green Bay Road.

According to Optima’s preliminary plans, the development would be a six-story building with 150 rental units with one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts and commercial space on the ground floor. The revised plans list fewer units (135) that are no longer rentals but condominiums.

Optima had also previously stated that it planned to keep the Starbucks restaurant on the ground floor.

The building is being designed to feature a tapering effect on the top floors that will set back the building from the sidewalk, initial plans said. Along the north side of the building, the building will set back the top three floors with the top floor removed nearly 44 feet from the sidewalk elevation. On the east side of the building, the building will rise 51 feet before a 15 and a half-foot setback of the sixth floor.

Optima stated that they are also looking to include a 4,000-square-foot outdoor plaza that would be open for diners and the public.

As part of the Optima Verdana approval, Optima paid the Village of Wilmette $1.6 million to support affordable housing initiatives in the village. The funds were paid in the fall of 2021 and granted to Community Partners for Affordable Housing.

Optima’s preliminary plans stated it would present a proposal to support affordable housing at a later date. Braiman has said the Village would look for Optima to contribute a minimum of what it did for Verdana.

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