Hezner Corporation Plans Major Overhaul of Downtown Mundelein

A facelift is on the horizon in downtown Mundelein.

The Hezner Corporation presented ambitious concepts for the “Bank Triangle,” a vital 6-acre area east of Seymour Avenue and north of Hawley, to village officials earlier this week, the Daily Herald reported.

The Libertyville-based firm wants to develop a four- to six-building apartment complex with up to 200 units, a 600-space parking garage, a “town hall mall” with up to 15 retailers, a second-level walkway connection and possibly an entertainment area.

The planning area, dubbed “the Spur,” pays homage to a former interurban electric train line.

While the ideas are speculative, village officials are urged to think big, considering the potential for publicly and privately held properties on the site. The primary goals of the project are to create a sense of place, enhance walkability, maximize density and attract residents and visitors to Mundelein.

To fulfill its vision, Hezner plans to redevelop or repurpose various buildings and properties in the downtown area.

“Mundelein is going to grow immensely over time. It needs something like this in the downtown area,” Scott Hezner, vice president of the Hezner Corporation, told the outlet. “Mundelein needs to broaden its idea of who they are and what they want to be and how they can get it, and now is a great time to do that.”

The Bank Triangle includes two former bank buildings, residences, a former Citgo gas station and a former water division building that currently houses Mundelein Tool Library.

The village planted the seeds for a downtown overhaul in 2017, when it adopted an implementation plan focusing on the area north of Hawley Street, and that includes the Bank Triangle. Mundelein plans to hire an architect to develop as many as three potential sites, while opening the door for collaboration with other developers and investors.

—Quinn Donoghue