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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Visit Optima Lumina for more details

Optima Inc has received final village board approval for Optima Lumina, a 128-unit luxury residential building in downtown Wilmette on Chicago’s North Shore. The six-story building features one- to three-bedroom residences of up to nearly 3,000 square feet, almost 5,900 square feet of retail space, a large public plaza, robust amenity package and a number of sustainable features, including Optima’s proprietary Vertical Landscaping System.

Replacing the long-vacant former Imperial Motors car dealership located at 720-739 Green Bay Road, the transit-oriented development is conveniently located directly across from Wilmette’s Metra rail commuter station. It also is immediately north of Optima’s 100-unit, high-end rental community, Optima Verdana, which welcomed residents in 2023 and is now fully leased with a significant waitlist. The residences at Optima Lumina are envisioned as for-sale condominiums but may shift based on market conditions.

“The success of Optima Verdana has demonstrated the high demand for luxury new-construction multifamily housing on the North Shore,” said David Hovey, Jr. AIA, president of Optima, Inc. “Optima Lumina builds on that demand by offering the option for current residents looking to downsize from single-family homes as well as would-be North Shore buyers struggling to find a home due to the area’s low inventory of available housing. Optima is committed to serving as responsible long-term stewards of downtown Wilmette, and we look forward to Optima Lumina enhancing the community and its vibrant character.”

Conceived as a complementary but entirely stand-alone community from neighboring Optima Verdana, Optima Lumina is separated from its neighbor by a 75-foot-wide publicly accessible landscaped plaza containing outdoor seating, public art and a fountain. Optima Lumina further differentiates itself from Optima Verdana through its own unique architectural language and identity, which includes the company’s first-ever use of terracotta in a building facade system.

Optima Lumina’s innovative exterior design also incorporates the developer’s proprietary Vertical Landscaping System along its roofline and terraces, which will provide greenery on the building’s facade. The system was pioneered by Optima at its Arizona communities and made its Midwest debut at Optima Verdana by utilizing plant species selected to stay green year-round. The exterior plantings provide biophilic and sustainability benefits such as improved solar shading, evaporative cooling, air purification, noise reduction, stormwater management and balcony privacy as the greenery matures over time.

On its ground floor, Optima Lumina will offer resident amenities, including an indoor basketball and pickleball court; sports lounge with a golf simulator and indoor putting green; and a fitness center with dedicated yoga and Pilates studios. According to Hovey Jr., Optima intends to retain the existing Starbucks at 739 Green Bay Road within one of Optima Lumina’s new commercial spaces, complete with dedicated outdoor seating and off-street retail parking. The building’s rooftop amenity sky deck features a resident lounge, showcase kitchen, clubroom, outdoor grilling areas, bocce court, steam room, sauna, cold plunge and lap pools with retractable glass walls, and sweeping views of downtown Wilmette and the surrounding treetop canopy.

In addition to being designed in-house, Optima Lumina will also be developed, built, sold and managed by Optima. The building is targeting a Two Green Globes certification, a sustainability rating that evaluates a property’s environmental impact, energy efficiency, water conservation and indoor air quality. Optima Lumina’s notable sustainable features include the use of VRF heating and cooling systems, eco-friendly induction cooktops, electric outdoor grills and providing 100% EV charging capacity in its below-ground parking garage.

As part of the firm’s zoning agreement with the Village, Optima will provide a $3.8 million contribution to advance affordable housing in Wilmette. The donation is more than double the $1.6 million affordable housing contribution the firm previously made with the approval of Optima Verdana.

Read more on Urbanize Chicago

Visit Optima Lumina for more details

Optima, Inc. has received final village board approval for Optima Lumina, a 128-unit luxury residential building in downtown Wilmette on Chicago’s North Shore.

The six-story building features one- to three-bedroom residences of up to nearly 3,000 square feet, almost 5,900 square feet of retail space, a large public plaza, and a robust amenity package. Replacing the long-vacant former Imperial Motors car dealership located at 720-739 Green Bay Road, the transit-oriented development is located directly across from Wilmette’s Metra rail commuter station.

It is also immediately north of Optima’s 100-unit, high-end rental community, Optima Verdana. “The success of Optima Verdana has demonstrated the high demand for luxury new-construction multifamily housing on the North Shore,” said David Hovey, Jr. AIA, president of Optima, Inc. “Optima Lumina builds on that demand by offering the option for current residents looking to downsize from single-family homes as well as would-be North Shore buyers struggling to find a home due to the area’s low inventory of available housing.”

Read more on Connect CRE

Visit Optima Lumina for more details